# optimistic

/ˌɑptəˈmɪstɪk/ (US) · /ˌɒptɪmˈɪstɪk/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/optimistic
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. hopeful and positive

adjective · CEFR B2

feeling or showing hope that good things will happen in the future.

For teachers: characterised by a hopeful and confident outlook regarding the future or the success of a specific outcome.

- She is optimistic that she will find a new job by the end of the month.
- Despite the recent economic downturn, the CEO remained optimistic about the company's long-term growth prospects in the emerging markets.

### 2. computing/data handling

adjective · CEFR C1 · Technical

a way of managing data that lets many people make changes at once, assuming they won't clash.

For teachers: relating to a concurrency control method that allows multiple transactions to proceed without locking data, checking for conflicts only at the point of commit.

- The app uses an optimistic approach to save your notes quickly without making you wait.
- By implementing optimistic concurrency control, the developers significantly reduced database contention during peak usage hours.

Usage: Often used in the phrase 'optimistic locking' or 'optimistic concurrency control'.

## Examples

- She is very optimistic about her chances of getting the job.
- Despite the recent market downturn, the CEO remains optimistic that sales will recover by the end of the year.
- The lead developer provided an optimistic timeline for the software release, though the engineering team cautioned that unforeseen bugs could delay the launch by several weeks.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.