Pronunciation GB: ˌɒptɪˈmæləti, GA: ˈɑptɪˈmælət̬i
A phonological theory which views the differences between languages as the result of different rankings of universal constraints on phonological structure.
See Prince A. & Smolensky P. (1993) Optimality theory: constraint interaction in generative grammar. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University.