adjective
- going beyond what is usual or ordinary; excessive; extreme.
noun
- an extremist, as in politics, religion, fashion, etc.
- (initial capital letter) Military. the British code name for intelligence gathered by decrypting German wireless communications enciphered on the Enigma machine during World War II.
- a prefix occurring originally in loanwords from Latin, with the basic meaning “on the far side of, beyond.” In relation to the base to which it is prefixed, ultra- has the senses “located beyond, on the far side of” (ultramontane; ultraviolet), “carrying to the furthest degree possible, on the fringe of” (ultraleft; ultramodern), “extremely” (ultralight); nouns to which it is added denote, in general, objects, properties, phenomena, etc., that surpass customary norms, or instruments designed to produce or deal with such things (ultramicroscope; ultrasound; ultrastructure).
noun
- the highest point; acme.
- the most intense degree of a quality or state.
adjective
- extreme or immoderate, esp in beliefs or opinions
noun
- an extremist
noun
- the extreme or perfect point or state
prefix
- beyond or surpassing a specified extent, range, or limitultramicroscopic
- extreme or extremelyultramodern
prefix meaning “beyond” (ultraviolet) or “extremely” (ultramodern), from Latin ultra- from ultra (adv. and prep.) “beyond, on the further side,” from PIE *al- “beyond.” In common use from early 19c., it appears to have arisen from French political designations. As its own word, a noun meaning “extremist” of various stripes, it is first recorded 1817, from French ultra, shortening of ultra-royaliste “extreme royalist.” “utmost limit to which one can go,” Latin, literally “no more beyond;” the motto traditionally inscribed on the Pillars of Hercules. pref.
- Beyond; on the other side of:ultraviolet.
- Beyond the range, scope, or limit of:ultrasonic.