optimize

Language: en

🇬🇧 /ˈɒptɪˌmaɪz/ 🇺🇸 /ˈɑptəˌmaɪz/

📖 Definitions

  1. verb
    To make the best or most effective use of a situation, opportunity, or resource; to make something as good or as effective as possible.; In mathematics and computer science, to find the best solution to a problem, typically by maximizing or minimizing a function.; To be optimistic or to take an optimistic view of something (archaic/rare).

🔗 Details

Word forms

3rd sing.: optimizes Past: optimized Past part.: optimized Pres part.: optimizing

Collocations

optimize performanceoptimize for speedoptimize efficiencyoptimize resourcesoptimize resultsoptimize the process

Derivatives

optimizationoptimizeroptimizableoptimaloptimumoptimise

Synonyms

improveenhancemaximizerefinestreamlinefine-tune

Antonyms

worsendegradeimpair

Commonly confused

maximize
EN: 'Optimize' means to make the best or most effective use of something, while 'maximize' means to increase to the greatest possible amount or degree.
optimise
EN: 'Optimise' is simply the British English spelling variant of 'optimize'; both are correct in their respective dialects.

Spelling tips

EN: In British English, the preferred spelling is 'optimise' (with 's'), while American English uses 'optimize' (with 'z'). Both are internationally understood.

💬 Examples

  1. We need to optimize our workflow to meet the deadline.

  2. The algorithm is designed to optimize the cost function over the given constraints.

  3. He tended to optimize about the future despite the difficulties.