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Business vocabularyphrasal verb · /ˈɒptɪmaɪz fɔːr/

optimize for

In simple English

To adjust code, processes, or decisions to achieve the best performance for a particular goal, often accepting trade-offs in other areas.

Someone heard this phrase at work and wants to know what it means when engineers talk about optimizing for something.

At a glanceCEFR B1–B2
Commonness
Versatility
FormalityCasualFormalNeutral
Spoken ↔ WrittenSpokenWrittenBoth
Directness ↔ DiplomaticDirectDiplomaticNeutral
Region

Say it like this

✓We're optimizing for speed over accuracy here.
✓Should we optimize for developer experience or performance?
✓This architecture is optimized for read-heavy workloads.
✓Let's not optimize for edge cases.
✓Are we optimizing for the right thing?

Real examples

Standup

"I'm optimizing for simplicity in this refactor, so I'm keeping the logic straightforward."

Slack message

"This feature is optimized for mobile devices first — desktop comes later."

GitHub PR

"I optimized for readability here rather than performance since this code runs once a day."

Jira ticket

"AC: Optimize the search API for response time under 200ms."

Retrospective

"We optimized for delivery speed last sprint, but we created some tech debt."

Sprint planning

"Should we optimize for user experience or development speed this sprint?"

Pair programming

"Are we optimizing for memory usage or CPU here?"

Don't say this

✕We need to optimize the performance.
✓We need to optimize for performance.— Use 'optimize for' when targeting a specific goal. 'Optimize' alone needs a direct object (the thing you're changing).
✕Let's optimize for the code.
✓Let's optimize the code for readability.— You optimize FOR a goal, not FOR the thing you're changing. The code is what you change; readability is the goal.
✕We optimized for to reduce latency.
✓We optimized for low latency.— After 'optimize for', use a noun or noun phrase, not 'to + verb'.

Other forms

base form

optimize for

"We optimize for user experience."

present continuous

optimizing for

"We're optimizing for mobile performance."

past simple

optimized for

"The team optimized for speed last quarter."

past participle

optimized for

"This system is optimized for high traffic."

noun form

optimization

"Performance optimization is our priority."

Often used with

optimize for performanceMake something run faster or more efficiently
optimize for speedFocus on making something quick
optimize for user experienceMake choices that improve how users feel
optimize for readabilityWrite code that's easy to understand
optimize for scaleDesign to handle growth
optimize for costReduce expenses as the main goal

Similar words

tune forMore technical, often used for database or system settings
design forBroader, used early in planning phase
prioritizeMore general, doesn't imply technical adjustment
focus onLess technical, works in any context
tailor forEmphasizes customization for a specific audience

Opposites

ignoredeprioritizeneglectcompromise onsacrifice

Practice

Try it

4 quick exercises

Choose the most natural sentence

1. Which sentence sounds most natural in a sprint planning meeting?

Complete the sentence

2. This API is optimized ___ high throughput, so it handles many requests well.

Find the error

3. We optimized for to reduce memory usage in the new version.

Rewrite more naturally

4. We made the code better so it loads fast. (use 'optimize for')

More words

trade-offscaleperformancerefactorbottlenecklatencythroughputtech debt

Questions

Quick poll

Have you said "optimize for" in a standup this week?

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