1
: situated at the farthest or most distant point : extreme
the utmost point of the earth—
John Hunt
John Hunt2
: of the greatest or highest degree, quantity, number, or amount
a matter of utmost concern
1
: the most possible : the extreme limit : the highest attainable point or degree
the utmost in reliability
2
: the highest, greatest, or best of one's abilities, powers, and resources
will do our utmost to help
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Utmost comes from Old English ūtmest, a superlative adjective formed from the adverb ūt, meaning "out." The earlier sense of utmost carries the same meaning as outermost.
Synonyms
Examples of utmost in a Sentence
Adjective
supreme power that extended to the utmost points of the empire
she is a successful leader who deserves the utmost respect
Noun
This new system represents the utmost in modern technology.
It's designed to provide the utmost in comfort.
We had to push ourselves to the utmost to finish the job in time.
Recent Examples on the WebBill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2024
The safety of our guests and animals is always of utmost importance to us.
—Caitlin O'Kane, CBS News, 7 June 2024
Aaron David Miller, Foreign Affairs, 30 June 2020
With the utmost of convenience being close to the parks and flexibility for all budgets.
—Staff Author, Travel + Leisure, 31 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for utmost 
Adjective
The Clippers loved Jerry West, and were loved by him, and he was treated with the utmost dignity and respect during his seven years as their adviser.
—Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2024
The safety of our guests and animals is always of utmost importance to us.
—Caitlin O'Kane, CBS News, 7 June 2024
Noun
But having done his utmost to kill the two-state solution for most of the past decade, Netanyahu now waits, shovel in hand, to bury it.
—Aaron David Miller, Foreign Affairs, 30 June 2020
With the utmost of convenience being close to the parks and flexibility for all budgets.
—Staff Author, Travel + Leisure, 31 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for utmost
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'utmost.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near utmost
Cite this Entry
“Utmost.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/utmost. Accessed 27 Jun. 2024.
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