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op·ti·mum 
Audio Help [op-tuh-muhm] Pronunciation Key noun, plural -ma
Audio Help [-muh] Pronunciation Key, -mums, adjective
Audio Help [op-tuh-muhm] Pronunciation Key noun, plural -ma
Audio Help [-muh] Pronunciation Key, -mums, adjective –noun
–adjective
| 1. | the best or most favorable point, degree, amount, etc., as of temperature, light, and moisture for the growth or reproduction of an organism. |
| 2. | the greatest degree or best result obtained or obtainable under specific conditions. |
| 3. | most favorable or desirable; best: optimum conditions. |
[Origin: 1875–80; < L: n. use of neut. of optimus best, suppletive superl. of bonus good]
] —Synonyms 3. ideal, perfect, optimal.
| Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006. |
optimum
To learn more about optimum visit Britannica.com
| © 2008 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. |
| op·ti·mum
Audio Help (ŏp'tə-məm) Pronunciation Key
n. pl. op·ti·ma (-mə) or op·ti·mums
adj. Most favorable or advantageous; best. [Latin, neuter sing. of optimus, best; see op- in Indo-European roots.] |
| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
optimum
1879, from L. optimum, neut. sing. of optimus "best" (used as a superl. of bonus "good"), probably related to ops "power, resources" (in which case the evolution is from "richest" to "the most esteemed") or to ob "in front of," with superlative suffix *-tumos. Originally in biology, in ref. to "conditions most favorable" (for growth, etc.).
| Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper |
| optimum | |
adjective | |
| 1. | most desirable possible under a restriction expressed or implied; "an optimum return on capital"; "optimal concentration of a drug" |
noun | |
| 1. | most favorable conditions or greatest degree or amount possible under given circumstances |
| WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University. |
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