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Undue vs Utmost - What's the difference?

undue | utmost |

As adjectives the difference between undue and utmost

is that undue is excessive; going beyond that what is natural or sufficient while utmost is situated at the most distant limit; farthest.

As a noun utmost is

maximum; greatest possible amount or quantity.

undue

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Excessive; going beyond that what is natural or sufficient.
    • To individuals who despise killings in any form, death penalty is undue punishment.
  • That which ought not to be done; illegal; unjustified.
  • (of a payment etc) Not owing or payable.

    • Derived terms

    * undueful * undue influence * undueness * unduly

    utmost

    English

    Adjective

    (-)
  • Situated at the most distant limit; farthest
  • * Evelyn
    • We coasted within two leagues of Antibes, which is the utmost town in France.
  • * Herbert
    • Betwixt two thieves I spend my utmost breath.
  • The most extreme; ultimate; greatest
  • * (William Shakespeare)
    • He shall answerto his utmost peril.
  • * {{quote-book, year=1963, author=(Margery Allingham), title=(The China Governess)
    • , chapter=19 citation , passage=Meanwhile Nanny Broome was recovering from her initial panic and seemed anxious to make up for any kudos she might have lost, by exerting her personality to the utmost . She took the policeman's helmet and placed it on a chair, and unfolded his tunic to shake it and fold it up again for him.}}
  • * 2005 , (Plato), Sophist . Translation by Lesley Brown. .
    • Indeed at this very moment he's slipped away with the utmost cunning into a form that's most perplexing to investigate.

    Related terms

    * outermost * outmost * uttermost

    Noun

    (-)
  • Maximum; greatest possible amount or quantity.
  • * {{quote-book, year=1963, author=(Margery Allingham), title=(The China Governess)
    • , chapter=19 citation , passage=Meanwhile Nanny Broome was recovering from her initial panic and seemed anxious to make up for any kudos she might have lost, by exerting her personality to the utmost . She took the policeman's helmet and placed it on a chair, and unfolded his tunic to shake it and fold it up again for him.}}