VocabularyBasePractice words

Meaning & use

optimised

verb, adjective·AcademicBritish

Last updated

UK/ˈɒptɪmaɪzd/
US/ˈɑːptəmaɪzd/

“optimised” is a form of “optimise”.

Meanings

  1. verbtransitiveBritish

    Past tense and past participle of optimise: made as good, effective or efficient as it can be.

    Grammar: Takes an object in the active voice: they optimised the route; also used as a passive: the site was optimised.

    Patterns

    • optimised something for something
    • optimised to do something

    The engineers optimised the engine for fuel economy.

    We optimised the website so that pages load faster.

    She optimised her schedule to make time for study.

  2. adjectivebefore a nounBritish

    Adjusted to give the best possible performance for a particular purpose.

    Grammar: Often before a noun or after be, with for: an optimised design, optimised for mobile.

    Patterns

    • optimised for something
    • an optimised version

    The app has an optimised layout for small screens.

    The factory runs an optimised process that wastes little material.

    These shoes are optimised for long-distance running.

Common combinations

fully optimised
The code is fully optimised and runs in seconds.
optimised for
The site is optimised for search engines.
optimised performance
Regular updates keep the phone's optimised performance high.
optimised route
The courier follows an optimised route to save fuel.
poorly optimised
The game was poorly optimised and lagged on older machines.

Synonyms and how they differ

improved
Improved only says something got better, while optimised says it was tuned to the best possible level for a goal.
streamlined
Streamlined stresses removing waste and steps, while optimised can also mean fine-tuning.
refined
Refined suggests gradual polishing and is wider, whereas optimised implies measuring against a target.
maximised
Maximised means made as large as possible, while optimised means the best balance, which may not be the largest.

Opposites

neglected

Word family

optimise verb
British spelling of optimize, to make as effective as possible
optimisation noun
the process of making something as effective as possible
optimal adjective
best or most favorable
optimum noun
the best condition or amount
optimiser noun
a tool or person that optimises

Commonly confused: optimised or optimized? optimised or optimistic?

optimised vs optimized

Optimized is the American spelling of the same word. Use optimised in British English and optimized in American English.

optimised vs optimistic

Optimistic means hopeful about the future, whereas optimised means made to work as well as possible.

Practice

The engineers ___ the battery design so the phone lasts two days.

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “optimised”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

Your sentence stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.

Explore more words