latter
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latter
- /ˈlæt.ə(ɹ)/
- /ˈlæt.ɚ/ US
- [ˈlæɾ.ɚ] US
Sounds like ladder (in accents with flapping) · Rhymes with -ætə(ɹ)
Where it comes from
From Middle English latter, lattere, lattre, from Old English lætra, comparative form of læt (“late”). Equivalent to late + -er, thus a doublet of later; also, related to last, whose doublet is latest.
adjective
- Near (or nearer) to the end. the latter part of the century
-
In the past, but close (or closer) to the present time.
In his latter years my dad became very absent-minded.
Similar: later
noun
- The second of aforementioned two items. The archaic past participle shapen is only used in misshapen, ill-shapen, and well-shapen (the latter two are much less common, though).
Opposite: former
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: later, last, late, last mentioned, second, secondly, secondary, other, subsequent, thereto, thereof, case, ultima, latest, last-mentioned, recent
noun
Opposite: former
Translations
Every language
noun relating to or being the second of two items
| Español | (el) segundo, éste, esto, (este) último |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 후자 huja |
| 日本語 | 後者 kōsha |
| 中文 | 後者 /后者 hòuzhě |
| Português | segundo, último, este |
| Français | ce dernier |
| Deutsch | letzterer, zweiter |
| Italiano | secondo, quest'ultimo |
| Русский | второ́й vtorój |
| Tiếng Việt | sau, thứ hai, thứ nhì |
noun near (or nearer) to the end
| Français | ce dernier |
|---|---|
| Deutsch | letztere |
| Русский | после́дний poslédnij |
| Tiếng Việt | sau cùng |
noun close (or closer) to the present time
| Français | dernier |
|---|---|
| Deutsch | letzter |
| Русский | после́дний poslédnij, бо́лее по́здний bóleje pózdnij |
| Tiếng Việt | gần đây, mới đây |
Talk about this word "latter." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/latter. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. latter. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/latter "latter." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/latter.Cite this
@misc{latter_2026,
title = {latter},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/latter},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
