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
Jon Stojan, USA Today, 1 May 2025
Gamers benefit from access to Samsung's Gaming Hub, there's an AI Auto mode for quick optimization, the display can be punched out to 32:9 for more immersive gameplay, and Dynamic Black should bring detail to the shadows.
—New Atlas, 28 Apr. 2025
The specific optimization problem that DQI tackles is roughly this: You’re given a collection of points on a sheet of paper.
—Stephen Ornes, Wired News, 27 Apr. 2025
Process optimization and innovative thinking round out the top five, suggesting that employers are seeking professionals who can not just use new technologies but reimagine how work gets done.
—Kimberly Wilson, Essence, 22 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for optimization
Cite this Entry
“Optimization.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/optimization. Accessed 8 May. 2025.
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