Origin: Latin suffix -tion
Optimization has 2 different meanings across 1 category:
the act of rendering optimal
"the simultaneous optimization of growth and profitability"
"in an optimization problem we seek values of the variables that lead to an optimal value of the function that is to be optimized"
"to promote the optimization and diversification of agricultural products"
The design and operation of a system or process to make it as good as possible in some defined sense.
"The software team spent weeks on algorithm optimization to ensure the app could handle millions of users without slowing down."
In plain English: Optimization is the process of making something as efficient or effective as possible by improving its performance.
"The software update improved battery life through better optimization."
Usage: Optimization refers to the specific act of improving a system or process to achieve the best possible result according to a clear standard. Use this term when describing efforts to refine efficiency, performance, or effectiveness rather than general improvement.
The word optimization comes from the verb optimize combined with the suffix -ation to form a noun. It entered English as a straightforward construction meaning the process of making something optimal.