Do you know the definition of the latter? This article will provide you with all of the information you need on the word latter, including its definition, etymology, usage, example sentences, and more!
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According to Collins English Dictionary and the American Heritage Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language, the word the latter refers to the second or last or two people, groups or things. The first in this list would be called the former. This is considered a noun or pronoun, but the latter can also be used as an adjective. Many things can be described as latter, like the latter part of a film, latter part of the century, latter days of human progress, or latter cases of an illness. Latter is two syllables – lat-ter, and the pronunciation of later is ˈlætə-ər.
There are many different languages that also contain words that mean latter. You may notice that some of these translations of latter look or sound similar to one another. These are called cognates, which are words and phrases in different languages that have the same meaning and also look and sound similar. These are formed when two words have the same root or language of origin. This list of translations for the word latter is provided by Word Sense.
Nynorsk: sistnemnd
Chinese – Mandarin: 後者, 后者 (hòuzhě)
Bokmål: sistnevnt
Japanese: 後者 (こうしゃ, kōsha)
Portuguese: segundo
Finnish: jälkimmäinen
Russian: второ́й
Korean: 후자
Italian: secondo (masc.)
German: letzterer, zweiter
Catalan: segon
French: dernier (usually preceded by the determiner ce)
Persian: دومی (dovvomi)
Spanish: segundo (masc.), éste (masc.), ésta (fem.), último
Swedish: andra, senare
Dutch: laatstgenoemde
Polish: drugi (z dwóch)
What are synonyms and antonyms of the word latter?
There are many different words that one can use in place of the word latter. These are called synonyms, which are words and phrases that have the same meaning as another word or phrase. Synonyms are very useful English grammatical devices to know because they can help you to avoid repeating yourself as well as to expand your vocabulary. This list of synonyms for the word latter is provided by Power Thesaurus.
old
secondly
over
ancient
farthest
behind
final curtain
ulterior
succeeding
on way out
concluding
aftermost
latters
past
utmost
another
terminal
second of two things
furthest
lag
coming
finishing
newest
terminals
as dead as mutton
supreme
ultimate
dilatory
late
bygone
last-ditch
last
last-mentioned
after
antecedent
second
hindmost
posterior
middle
above
eventual
long-ago
earlier
last-minute
decisive
terminating
early
modern
way back when
antipodal
senior
held up
afterward
belate
foregoing
preceding
latest
ancient history
extreme
crowning
future
end
final
rearmost
following
chips down
recent
second of the two
under
later on
last in line
conclusive
ensuing
present
subsequent
closing
below
gone-by
second-mentioned
prior
way back
anterior
more recent
approaching
this one
definitive
later
ages ago
new
according
gone
blown
former
come
back
previous
tonight
ending
most recent
secondary
There are also many different words that mean the opposite of the word latter. These opposite words are called antonyms. Antonyms are also useful to know if you are trying to expand your English language vocabulary. This list of antonyms is also provided by Power Thesaurus.
The word latter can be used in many different ways in the English language. Using words in a sentence is a great way to memorize their definitions. You can also make quizzes or flashcards for yourself to test your knowledge of different definitions. Try using this word of the day in a sentence today! Below are several examples of latter to get you started.
The writer, Dick, could have used the expletive f*ck or the euphemism f-bomb, but he opted for the latter so the rating of the book would remain for pre-teen audiences. With too much swearing, the book would gain taboo status, be aged up, be less popular, and potentially in poor taste.
The popstar was Mormon, also known as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, its formal name and official name.
She could have attended Harvard or Princeton University. She chose the latter of the options listed in the previous sentence since her cousin went there and she missed their banters.
The heroes of the flim could have taken a ferry or a hovercraft to her destination. They chose the latter – who wouldn’t! The novel was set after present time.
What is the origin of the word latter?
According to Etymonline, the word latter has been used since the Old English lætra which means slower. This is a comparative of læt meaning late. This word has been used to mean a consequent period since 1200. This word is of Indo-European roots.
Overall, the word latter (n./adj.) means the second thing in a list of things, people, or groups. This word is of Latin origin.
Kevin Miller is a growth marketer with an extensive background in Search Engine Optimization, paid acquisition and email marketing. He is also an online editor and writer based out of Los Angeles, CA. He studied at Georgetown University, worked at Google and became infatuated with English Grammar and for years has been diving into the language, demystifying the do's and don'ts for all who share the same passion! He can be found online here.