ultima Thule

[ uhl-tuh-muh thoo-lee; Latin ool-ti-mah too-le ]

noun

1. (italics) Latin. the highest degree attainable.
2. the farthest point; the limit of any journey.
3. the point believed by the ancients to be farthest north.

ultima Thule

/ ˈθjuːlɪ /

noun

1. another name for Thule
2. any distant or unknown region
3. a remote goal or aim

Word History and Origins

Origin of ultima Thule¹

First recorded in 1655–65; literally, farthest Thule

Word History and Origins

Origin of ultima Thule¹

Latin: the most distant Thule

Example Sentences

To ancient explorers, “ultima Thule,” or the most distant region, was what lay past the northernmost edges of maps, beyond the borders of the known world.

From Washington Post

Pytheas called the place he encountered Thule, as in ultima Thule—the land beyond all known lands.

From The New Yorker

And through all the story there ran the deeper current of his mental struggles till at last he fancied he found the ultima Thule in pure materialism.

From Project Gutenberg

At last Barmouth, the “ultima Thule” of their wanderings, was reached, lodgings were taken, and the party set steadily to work.

From Project Gutenberg

Food, warmth, sleep, and a book; these are all I at present ask—the ultima Thule of my wandering desires.

From Project Gutenberg