Meaning & use
suboptimizing
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“suboptimizing” is a form of “suboptimize”.
Meanings
verbintransitive
Making one part of a system work as well as possible while causing the whole system to work less well.
Grammar: Used without an object; often followed by 'by' or 'in order to': suboptimizing by focusing on one team.
Patterns
- suboptimizing by doing something
- suboptimizing in order to do something
The manager was suboptimizing by pushing her team to hit sales targets, which left the warehouse unable to ship orders on time.
If each department buys its own software, the company ends up suboptimizing and paying more overall.
We are suboptimizing in order to cut costs this quarter, but customer satisfaction is falling.
verbtransitive
Making something less than fully effective or optimal.
Grammar: Takes an object: suboptimizing the process.
Patterns
- suboptimizing something
The new rules are suboptimizing the whole approval process, making it slower than before.
By insisting on perfect quality at every step, they were suboptimizing the production line.
Word forms
| third person singular | suboptimizes |
|---|---|
| past tense | suboptimized |
| past participle | suboptimized |
| -ing form | suboptimizing |
Common combinations
- suboptimizing the process
- The consultant warned that suboptimizing the process would hurt the final result.
- suboptimizing by focusing on
- They were suboptimizing by focusing on speed instead of quality.
- risk of suboptimizing
- There is a risk of suboptimizing if each team sets its own goals.
- end up suboptimizing
- Without a shared plan, departments often end up suboptimizing.
Synonyms and how they differ
- underperforming
- Focuses on failing to reach a standard, not on making one part better at the expense of the whole.
- mismanaging
- Suggests poor control or organization, while suboptimizing can happen even with good management of one part.
Opposites
Word family
- suboptimize verb
- To make something less than optimal.
- suboptimal adjective
- Not as good as it could be.
- suboptimization noun
- The act or result of making something less than optimal.
Commonly confused: suboptimizing or optimizing?
suboptimizing vs optimizing
Optimizing means making something as good as possible; suboptimizing means making one part better while harming the whole.
Practice
The team was _____ by trying to perfect one feature instead of finishing the whole project.
Choose one answer.
Suboptimizing fits because the team made one part perfect but harmed the overall project. Optimizing would mean making the whole project as good as possible, which is the opposite of the intended meaning here.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “suboptimizing”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.