at utmost

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "at utmost" is not correct in standard written English; the correct expression is "at most." You can use "at most" to indicate the maximum limit of something, often in terms of quantity or degree.
Example: "You can have two pieces of cake, at most."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

Wiki

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

5 human-written examples

Finally, it was found that incorporation of 40 mol% (y = 2) Gand and 33.3 66.7 mol% (x = 1 2) Gd3+ could secure enough energy-separation between CB and 5d1 of Ce3+ avoiding thermal ionization effect at utmost, and bury the antisite defect traps into CB, and in turn achieving the optimum scintillation efficiency.

Optical Materials

Therefore, workflow cargos need not aim at utmost universality and interoperability.

Journal of Cheminformatics

The fact that Harold had to make a forced march to fight Hardrada at Stamford Bridge and then move at utmost speed south to meet the Norman invasion, all in less than three weeks, is widely seen as a primary factor in William's victory at Hastings.

Wikipedia

The health care system is basically a service based industry and customer satisfaction is at utmost importance just as in other service-oriented sectors.

BMC Cancer

At utmost importance, always handle your cards with care.

WikiHow

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

55 human-written examples

Climate change scenarios built on General Circulation Models offer a way to access and estimate future changes in spatial and temporal rainfall patterns at the daily scale at the utmost, which is not as fine temporal resolution as required (e.g. hours) to directly estimate IDF curves.

Journal of Hydrology

That which is yet to be born — be it the world, a person, a piece of furniture or a piece of writing like this one — may be nothing, but at this stage it is at its utmost.

The New York Times

He also said it would be reasonable to expect Horford to remain at Miami two years, perhaps three, at the utmost, given his age.

The New York Times - Sports

This is not going to be an essay excoriating the behavior of the rich, who have been, at their best, perfectly friendly, and, at their utmost worst, uninterested in my presence.

The New Yorker

The sounds at their utmost registers.

The New Yorker

We abandon this principle at our utmost peril.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Avoid using the phrase "at utmost" in formal writing. Instead, opt for grammatically correct alternatives such as "at most" or "to the utmost" to convey the intended meaning.

Common error

A common mistake is using "at utmost" when you mean "at most." Remember that "at most" indicates a maximum quantity or limit, while "at utmost" is generally not considered standard English. Always double-check your word choice to ensure grammatical accuracy.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "at utmost" functions as a prepositional phrase, but is considered grammatically incorrect in standard English. Ludwig AI suggests that the correct alternative is "at most" for indicating a maximum limit.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

40%

News & Media

40%

Wiki

20%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "at utmost" is generally considered grammatically incorrect. Ludwig AI recommends using "at most" or "to the utmost" as more appropriate alternatives. The analysis of the provided examples reveals that the intended meaning is often to express a maximum limit or the highest degree of something. Due to its non-standard usage, it is best to avoid "at utmost" in formal and professional writing to maintain clarity and credibility.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

at most

Indicates a maximum limit or quantity.

to the utmost

Implies doing something to the greatest possible extent or degree.

at the very most

Emphasizes the maximum possible limit, often implying a degree of skepticism.

at the highest

Refers to the upper limit or peak value of something.

at a maximum

Specifies that something has reached its highest point or level.

at peak

Describes a state of maximum intensity or activity.

at best

Indicates the most optimistic or favorable outcome.

at the extreme

Signifies the furthest or most intense point on a scale.

up to a maximum of

Specifies an upper limit that something can reach.

at top

Indicates the highest position or rank.

FAQs

What is the correct way to say "at utmost"?

The correct phrase is "at most", which means a maximum amount or quantity. "At utmost" is not standard English.

When should I use "at most"?

Use "at most" when you want to specify the highest limit or quantity of something. For example, "You can invite five people at most."

What are some alternatives to "to the utmost"?

Alternatives include "to the greatest extent", "to the fullest degree", or "as much as possible". These phrases convey doing something to the highest degree.

Is "at utmost importance" grammatically correct?

No, the correct phrasing is "of "utmost importance"" or "of the "utmost importance"". For example, "Customer satisfaction is of utmost importance."