# ultimately

Pronunciation: say "UL-ti-mit-lee" US /ˈʌl.tɪ.mɪt.li/, UK /ˈʌl.tɪ.mɪt.lɪ/, AUS /ˈɐl.tɪ.mɪt.li/

## Adverb

1. In the end; finally, after all the earlier events, steps or stages.
   - Simple: In the end, after everything else has happened.
   - _The negotiations dragged on for weeks, but ultimately both sides reached an agreement._
   - _Ultimately, the bridge was completed two years behind schedule._
2. Used to mark the most important point or action, the one that outweighs all the others.
   - Simple: Used to point to the most important fact or choice, the one that matters most.
   - _We debated the design endlessly, but ultimately the budget drove every decision._
   - _Ultimately, a company's reputation rests on how it treats its customers._

## Origin

Formed from "ultimate" combined with the suffix "-ly".

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/ultimately (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).