ülimus

Ülimus is an Estonian noun meaning supremacy or the state of being supreme. It describes the highest degree of authority, power, or significance within a system or hierarchy. The term is used in law, politics, philosophy, and everyday language to refer to the idea of ultimate influence or control.

In political and legal contexts, ülimus denotes ultimate authority—such as the sovereign power of the state, a constitution, or a governing body. It is used in discussions of sovereignty, constitutional order, and the hierarchy of norms where some sources claim final or supreme authority over others.

In mathematics, ülimus is the supremum, or least upper bound, of a set. If S is a subset of real numbers that is bounded above, its ülimus is the smallest number that is at least every element of S. Equivalently, s ≤ sup S for all s in S, and for every ε > 0 there exists s in S with sup S − ε < s.

In philosophy or theology, ülimus may refer to the Ultimate or an absolute principle or reality, depending on tradition. It can be used metaphorically to indicate the highest value, purpose, or source of meaning and authority beyond particular systems.

Etymology: the word derives from the Estonian root ülem, meaning "upper" or "superior," with a noun-forming suffix. As a result, its exact sense depends on context—legal, mathematical, or metaphysical.