# optimizing

/ˈɑptəˌmaɪzɪŋ/ (US) · CEFR B2 · Verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/optimizing
Updated: 2026-05-11

## Definition

making something as good or as effective as it can be. You use this when you improve a process or a system to get the best results.

For teachers: making the best or most efficient use of a situation or resource. Often describes the process of refining a system or piece of software to achieve maximum performance.

## Examples

- The team is optimizing the website for mobile users.
- By optimizing their delivery routes, the company managed to reduce fuel costs by twenty percent this quarter.
- The engineers spent months optimizing the algorithm to ensure that data processing remained stable even during periods of peak network traffic.

## Pitfalls

- Not "optimizing for to save time" but "optimizing to save time" — When expressing purpose after 'optimizing', use a to-infinitive directly rather than 'for to'.

## Usage notes

- Transitive — requires a direct object representing the system, process, or resource being improved.

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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.