optimization
noun
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Optimization started its gradual perfection in mid-19th-century English, when it was derived from optimize, a word first used in the early part of that same century with the meaning "to make the best or most of." In basic applications, optimization refers to the act or process of making something as good as it can be. In the 21st century, it has seen much use in technical contexts having to do with attaining the best possible functionality, as in "network optimization" and "search engine optimization" (SEO). Like the words optimum and optimism (which refer, respectively, to the amount or degree of something that is best or most effective, and to a feeling or belief that good things will happen in the future), optimize and optimization derive from Latin optimus, meaning "best."
Examples of optimization in a Sentence
Cerys Davies, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2026
That kind of application optimization is impressive and suggests there's real potential for BOT to enhance workloads in different apps, but with it so selectively applied, enhancing benchmark results has the potential to be misleading.
—Jon Martindale, PC Magazine, 1 Apr. 2026
Many of Brandix’s facilities operate primarily on solar energy and employ advanced energy optimization systems, helping to maintain continuity while conserving resources.
—Mayu Saini, Sourcing Journal, 31 Mar. 2026
Early commercial applications are also emerging in areas such as optimization, financial modeling and chemical simulations.
—Dylan Butts,matthew Chin, CNBC, 30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for optimization
Cite this Entry
“Optimization.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/optimization. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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