different between ultimate vs esoteric

English

Etymology

From Medieval Latin ultim?tus (“furthest, last”), past participle of Latin ultim?, ultim?re (“to come to an end”), from ultimus (“last, final”). See ultra-.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /??lt?m?t/
• (US) IPA^(key): /??lt?m?t/

Adjective

ultimate (not comparable)

1. Final; last in a series.
2. (of a syllable) Last in a word or other utterance.
3. Being the greatest possible; maximum; most extreme.
4. Being the most distant or extreme; farthest.
5. That will happen at some time; eventual.
6. Last in a train of progression or consequences; tended toward by all that precedes; arrived at, as the last result; final.
   • 1825, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Aids to Reflection

     those ultimate truths and those universal laws of thought which we cannot rationally contradict

7. Incapable of further analysis; incapable of further division or separation; constituent; elemental.

Synonyms

• (final): See Thesaurus:final
• (most extreme): utmost, uttermost

Antonyms

• (w.r.t. causes): initial, original
• (most extreme): original, derivative

Coordinate terms

• (adjectives denoting syllables): penultimate (last but one), antepenultimate (last but two), preantepenultimate (last but three), propreantepenultimate (last but four)

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

Noun

ultimate (countable and uncountable, plural ultimates)

1. The most basic or fundamental of a set of things
2. The final or most distant point; the conclusion
3. The greatest extremity; the maximum
4. (uncountable) The game of ultimate frisbee.

Translations

Verb

ultimate (third-person singular simple present ultimates, present participle ultimating, simple past and past participle ultimated)

1. (transitive, archaic) To finish; to complete.
   • 1869, The New-Jerusalem Magazine (volume 41, page 36)

     These measures have been carried forward with a zeal and unanimity that warrant the hope we entertain, of ultimating the plans in respect to our Temple, before the next meeting of the Maryland Association.

Further reading

• ultimate in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• ultimate in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

Anagrams

• mutilate

Finnish

Etymology

From English ultimate.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?ultim?te/, [?ult?i?m?t?e?]
• Rhymes: -?te
• Syllabification: ul?ti?ma?te

Noun

ultimate

1. ultimate frisbee (game)

Declension

Anagrams

• amuletit, amuletti, laitumet, leimattu, leimatut

Italian

Verb

ultimate

1. inflection of ultimare:
   1. second-person plural present indicative
   2. second-person plural imperative
   3. feminine plural past participle

Anagrams

• multiate, mutilate

Latin

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ul.ti?ma?.te/, [???t???mä?t??]
• (Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ul.ti?ma.te/, [ul?t?i?m??t??]

Verb

ultim?te

1. second-person plural present active imperative of ultim?

English

Alternative forms

• esoterick (obsolete)

Etymology

From Ancient Greek ?????????? (es?terikós, “belonging to an inner circle”), from ??????? (es?tér?, “further inside”), comparative of ??? (és?, “within”), from ?? (es), ??? (eis, “into”) (esoteric originally referred to the secret teachings of Greek philosophers, versus public or exoteric ones).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?i?s.???t??.?k/
• (US) IPA^(key): /??s.??t??.?k/, /??s.o??t??.?k/, enPR: ?s?t?r'?k, ?s?t?r'?k
• Rhymes: -?r?k

Adjective

esoteric (comparative more esoteric, superlative most esoteric)

1. Intended for or likely to be understood by only a small number of people with a specialized knowledge or interest, or an enlightened inner circle.

   Synonyms: arcane, recondite

2. Having to do with concepts that are highly theoretical and without obvious practical application; often with mystical or religious connotations.
   • 1975, Saul Bellow, Humboldt's Gift [Avon ed., 1976, p. 278]:

     When he spoke to me of esoteric mysteries I wanted to say to him,"Don't give me that spiritual hokum, friend!"

   Synonym: cerebral

3. Confidential; private.

   Synonym: secretive

Antonyms

• exoteric

Related terms

Translations

See also

• exoterism
• metaphysical
• occult
• paranormal
• supernatural
• theoretical

Noun

esoteric (plural esoterics)

1. An esoteric doctrine or treatise; esoteric philosophy.
2. One who believes, or is an initiate, in esoteric doctrines or rites.

Anagrams

• coteries