optimal

From Latin optimus +‎ -al.

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈɒptɪməl/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈɑptɪməl/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

optimal (not comparable)

1. The best, most favourable or desirable, especially under some restriction.

   Finding the optimal balance between features and price is a common problem.

   • 2014 August 21, Susan Stafford Kelly, “What Say You”, in Our State:

     Herewith, a brief primer in speaking basic North Carolinaese, meant to be read aloud for optimal effect.

2. (artificial intelligence) Describing a search algorithm that always returns the best result.

• best, ideal, optimum

• pessimal
• worst

• suboptimal

optimal (plural optimals)

1. The best of its kind

From the Latin optimum suffixed with -al.

• Audio:

  (file)

optimal (feminine optimale, masculine plural optimaux, feminine plural optimales)

1. optimal

• “optimal”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé , 2012.

• IPA^(key): /ɔptiˈmaːl/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aːl

optimal (strong nominative masculine singular optimaler, comparative (colloquial) optimaler, superlative (colloquial) am optimalsten)

1. optimal (perfect)
2. optimal (as good as possible under a given condition)
3. very good

The comparation forms are considered incorrect by some prescriptivists, and are widely restricted to less formal usage.

• “optimal” in Duden online
• “optimal” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache

Borrowed from French optimal. By surface analysis, optim +‎ -al.

• IPA^(key): /op.tiˈmal/

optimal m or n (feminine singular optimală, masculine plural optimali, feminine and neuter plural optimale)

1. optimal

• optimal in DEX online—Dicționare ale limbii române (Dictionaries of the Romanian language)