Both Uses of
ultimate
in
A Thousand Acres
- To my father, this was the ultimate expression of the right order of things, so when Ty started visiting us the year after that, my father was perfectly happy to see him.†
p. 12.6 *ultimate = most extreme as in final, best, worst, most important, or most fundamental
- We were never able to bring things to the conclusion she aimed for, though, because changing him ultimately demanded his own involvement, which would have been impossible.†
p. 118.3ultimately = finally; or in the end
Definition:
most extreme as in final, best, worst, most important, or most fundamental
The exact meaning of ultimate depends upon its context. For example:
- "the ultimate decision-maker" -- the final
- "the ultimate car" -- the best
- "the ultimate insult" -- the worst
- "the ultimate source" -- original or most fundamental
- "the ultimate sacrifice" -- most extreme