Meaning & use
optimal
Last updated
Meanings
adjectivenot comparable
The best possible for a particular situation or purpose.
Grammar: Usually not modified by very or more because optimal already means best.
Patterns
- optimal for something
- optimal conditions
Seeds need optimal conditions of warmth and moisture to sprout.
The route he chose was optimal for saving fuel.
Eight hours of sleep is considered optimal for most adults.
adjectivenot comparabletechnicalmathematicscomputing
In mathematics and computing, giving the best result under a stated measure, such as lowest cost or shortest time.
Grammar: Used in technical writing: an optimal solution, an optimal algorithm.
Patterns
- an optimal solution
The program finds the optimal path through the network.
Engineers searched for the optimal design with the least weight.
The proof shows that the greedy method is optimal.
Common combinations
- optimal conditions
- Wine ages best in optimal conditions of darkness and cool air.
- optimal performance
- Athletes eat carefully to achieve optimal performance.
- optimal solution
- The team compared costs to find the optimal solution.
- optimal level
- Keep humidity at an optimal level.
- far from optimal
- The seating plan was far from optimal.
Synonyms and how they differ
- ideal
- Ideal is broader and may describe a perfect imagined case, while optimal is the best available choice measured against others.
- best
- Best is plain and everyday, while optimal sounds technical and implies measuring.
- perfect
- Perfect means without fault, but an optimal option can still have drawbacks.
- peak
- Peak refers to the highest point reached, as in peak performance, rather than the most suitable one.
Opposites
Word family
- optimally adverb
- in the best possible way
- optimize verb
- to make as good as possible
- optimization noun
- the process of making something as effective as possible
- optimum noun
- the best amount or condition
- suboptimal adjective
- less than the best
Commonly confused: optimal or optional? optimal or optimistic?
optimal vs optional
Optional means you may choose it or not; optimal means best.
optimal vs optimistic
Optimistic means hopeful about the future, not best.
Practice
The two plans are both good, but only one is ___ for our small budget.
Choose one answer.
Optimal means best for the purpose. Optional means not required, optimistic means hopeful, and optical relates to sight.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “optimal”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.