Optimize
/ˈɒp.tɪ.maɪz/noun
To make something as effective or efficient as possible.
Did you know?Optimize comes from Latin optimus, meaning “best,” the same root behind the Roman god Jupiter’s title Optimus Maximus—“Best and Greatest.”
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₃ep-
“to work, produce, be active”
Latin
Latin
optimus
“best, very good”
Late Latin
Latin
optimizare
“to make the best of, improve”
17th–18th Century
French/English
optimiser
“to make as effective or advantageous as possible”
Modern English
English
optimize
“to make something as effective or efficient as possible”