ultimately

adverb

ul·​ti·​mate·​ly ˈəl-tə-mət-lē 

1

: in the end : fundamentally

the word comes ultimately from Latin

2

: eventually

ultimately, they agreed

Synonyms of ultimately

• eventually
• finally
• someday

Examples of ultimately in a Sentence

The changes ultimately proved to be unnecessary.

Ultimately, it's a question of who is more popular.

Recent Examples on the Web

Whether or not Hal was right to entice Zoe (upon whose shoulders the carnage ultimately falls), his decision to circumvent the Guardians’ chain of command is what ultimately leads to countless deaths and his imprisonment for reckless endangerment. — Siddhant Adlakha, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2026

There was the Dolphins’ play of the day that ultimately wasn’t — a nimble escape from pressure and a dart to Chris Bell, who would have scored a 68-yard TD if one of his toes hadn’t grazed the sideline. — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 5 Oct. 2026

Samuel, or Samuil in Bulgarian, was a warrior emperor who battled the Byzantine Empire to expand his kingdom but was ultimately defeated and died shortly afterward in 1014. — Costas Kantouris, Arkansas Online, 4 Oct. 2026

Superhuman was valued at $825 million in 2021, and ultimately acquired by Grammarly in 2025, though the acquisition price was not disclosed. — Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 4 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1652, in the meaning defined at sense 1