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ne plus ultra

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

English

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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Borrowed from Latin nē plūs ultrā.

Pronunciation

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  • enPR: /nā' plŭs ŭl'trə/, enPR: /nē' plŭs ŭl'trə/, enPR: /nā' plo͝os o͝ol'trə/

Noun

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ne plus ultra (plural ne plus ultras)

  1. The highest, ultimate point of achievement which can be reached; perfection.
    • 1837, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], “Success”, in Ethel Churchill: Or, The Two Brides. [], volume II, London: Henry Colburn, [], →OCLC, page 74:
      Suppers were the ne plus ultra of human invention; it could go no further, and was obliged to degenerate; dinner is too much matter of business, it is a necessity: now, a necessity is too like a duty ever to be pleasant.
    • November 30, 2014, Julia Kavanagh, Rome: The ‘ne plus ultra’ of Art[1]
      It doesn’t get any better than this because Rome, like Florence, is the ne plus ultra of art.
  2. The perfect or most extreme example of its kind; the ultimate.
  3. (rare) A prohibition against proceeding further; an insuperable obstacle or limiting condition.

Translations

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Latin

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Etymology

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Ellipsis of a subjunctive verb like prōgrediāris (may you advance); or reinterpreted as a negative result clause with ellipsis of fierī possit (so that ... is impossible).

Pronunciation

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Phrase

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plūs ultra

  1. Alternative form of nōn plūs ultrā (A warning to not go beyond a certain point.)