Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “optimize” come from?

optimize (English) comes from English Optimist, from French optimiste, from French optimisme, from Latin optimus, from Latin Ops, from Latin oscen, from Latin opscen, from Latin ob- — to throw, reach, pierce; to hit by throwing.

optimize (English): To act optimistically or as an optimist; To make ...

Definitions

  1. To act optimistically or as an optimist; To make ...

Ancestry of “optimize”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishOptimistA small centre-board sailing dinghy designed to...
2Frenchoptimisteoptimist; optimistic
3Frenchoptimismeoptimism
4Latinoptimusbest; very good
5LatinOpsearth goddess, fertility deity
6Latinoscenany bird by whose song cries augurs divined...
7Latinopscen—
8Latinob-towards; against
9Latinobolusobolus
10Ancient Greekὀβολόςobol, obolus, used at Athens as both a weight and...
11Ancient Greekὀβελόςa spit, rod; a horizontal line
12Ancient Greekβέλοςmissile, arrow, dart; weapon; something quickly...
13Proto-Indo-EuropeangʷélHos—
14Proto-Indo-EuropeangʷelH-to throw, reach, pierce; to hit by throwing

Words derived from “optimize”

  • optimization
  • optimizer
  • suboptimization
  • reoptimize
  • optimizable
  • preoptimization
  • overoptimization
  • suboptimisation
  • overoptimize
  • deoptimize
  • nonoptimizable
  • underoptimize
  • underoptimization
  • micro-optimization
  • unoptimizable
  • peephole optimization
  • superoptimizer
  • superoptimization
  • preoptimize
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gʷelH- →