Meaning & use
ultimatum
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountable
A last warning telling someone to do something by a set time, or else face a serious consequence such as punishment or the end of an agreement.
Grammar: Usually follows give, issue or receive: she gave him an ultimatum.
Patterns
- give someone an ultimatum
- issue an ultimatum to someone
- an ultimatum to do something
The landlord issued an ultimatum: pay the rent by Friday or leave.
She gave her partner an ultimatum about moving abroad.
The union rejected the ultimatum and called a strike.
Word forms
| plural | ultimatums |
|---|---|
| plural (Latin) | ultimata |
Common combinations
- issue an ultimatum
- The government issued an ultimatum to the rebels.
- deliver an ultimatum
- The manager delivered an ultimatum to the late-paying client.
- reject an ultimatum
- The council rejected the ultimatum from the developer.
- final ultimatum
- He handed her a final ultimatum before leaving.
- meet the ultimatum
- The company failed to meet the ultimatum and lost the contract.
Synonyms and how they differ
- demand
- A demand is simply a firm request and need not state any consequence, which an ultimatum always does.
- threat
- A threat names a harm but may offer no way to avoid it, while an ultimatum offers a clear choice and deadline.
- final warning
- Final warning is more informal and often comes from an authority, whereas an ultimatum can be set by anyone in a dispute.
Opposites
Word family
- ultimate adjective
- final or most extreme
- ultimately adverb
- in the end
Commonly confused: ultimatum or ultimate?
ultimatum vs ultimate
Ultimate is an adjective meaning final or greatest, while ultimatum is a noun for a last demand.
Practice
My sister gave me an ___: either I apologize today, or she stops speaking to me.
Choose one answer.
An ultimatum combines a demand with a stated consequence if it is refused. The other words do not describe such a demand.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “ultimatum”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.