- superlative of late.
adjective
adjective
noun
-
no later than the time specified
-
informal the most recent fashion or development
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of latest
A late Middle English word dating back to 1375–1425; see origin at late, -est 1
Explanation
Something that's the latest is the newest, most recent example of that thing. For example, some people always need to have the latest cellphone model, while you're perfectly happy with the one that came out three years ago. You can listen to a singer's latest single, or read a novelist's latest book — the ones most recently written and released. The adjective latest can also describe the very most fashionable thing, like the latest hairstyle or the latest men's suit design. "The latest" is also sometimes used to mean "the news," so you could say, "Hey, have you all heard the latest on the flood at school?"
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
GM's new $20 billion shareholder repurchase plan follows the completion of its latest $6 billion plan.
From Barron's ● Oct. 20, 2026
Those have usually quickly been forgotten and the reality is that he has displayed remarkable longevity, with his first World Championship win coming in 2001 and his latest in 2022.
From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2026
The company’s latest outlook is weighing on shares Tuesday.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 20, 2026
It has routinely gotten large allocations of Nvidia’s latest AI chips, and its financial support.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 20, 2026
Lippmann, who was forever adding data to his presentation, produced his latest version of “Shorting Mezzanine Home Equity Tranches” and walked Fewings through his argument.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
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Of course, that doesn’t stop either faction from being suckered in by Frank’s latests hoax at the end of the episode.
From Time ● Sep. 12, 2013
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