Ultimately means in the end, in the final analysis, when everything is considered. It talks about the result of a long process or about the most important thing that everything comes down to: Ultimately, it's your decision. In an essay, it leads to the main conclusion.
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Ultimately, + main conclusion; ultimately + verb (= in the end, after a long process); ultimately + depends on/is up to (= most importantly)
- We looked at fifteen flats, but ultimately we decided to stay in our old one.
- Teachers can give advice, but ultimately the choice of university is up to the student.
- Ultimately, a healthy diet matters more than an expensive gym membership.
What changed
First versionFirst, wash the rice. Then add water and salt. Ultimately, cook it for fifteen minutes.
RevisionFirst, wash the rice. Then add water and salt. Finally, cook it for fifteen minutes.
Since ultimately means “in the end”, it seems to fit the last step. But the last step of instructions or the last item on a list is introduced with finally. Ultimately isn't about the order of actions; it's about how everything turned out or what it all comes down to, so in the recipe it was replaced with Finally.
Ultimately is close to eventually: both describe a result after a long process. We argued for weeks, but ultimately we agreed. But only ultimately also means “basically, when it comes to what matters most”: Ultimately, money is not the most important thing. With eventually, that sentence would sound like “in time, money will stop being important”.
Your turn
Parents and teachers can offer advice, but ___ it is the student who must decide what to study.
Show the answer
ultimately — This isn't a list of steps but the main conclusion: whoever gives advice, it's the student who decides. That's “in the end”, ultimately. Lastly introduces the final item in a list, and there's no list in the sentence.
Write a conclusion for an essay on “Working from home: pros and cons”. Acknowledge one advantage, and introduce your main conclusion with ultimately.
Working from home saves hours of commuting, but ultimately its success depends on whether a person can stay focused without colleagues around.
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