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
PC Magazine, 22 Nov. 2025
Next is digital readiness—robust data systems, connectivity and decision-support tools like AI optimization that enable companies to respond with speed and precision.
—Sj Studio, Sourcing Journal, 21 Nov. 2025
The same optimization tools are currently being applied to streamline licensing processes and enhance operational safety.
—Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 21 Nov. 2025
As creative and operational tasks such as design, merchandising, marketing and optimization become increasingly automated, the industry will trend toward a future where every product variant and every campaign is uniquely tailored in real time.
—Jenny B. Fine, Footwear News, 18 Nov. 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 26 Nov. 2025.
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