latter

American  

[lat-er] / ˈlæt ər /

adjective

1. being the second mentioned of two (former ).

   I prefer the latter offer to the former one.

2. more advanced in time; later.

   It's a shame that famine still exists in these latter days of human progress.

3. near or comparatively near to the end.

   This style was commonly produced in the latter part of the century.

4. Obsolete. last; final.

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noun

1. the latter, the second mentioned of a set of two (the former ).

   The only difference between the inexpensive digital watch and the expensive one is that the latter can also monitor your heartbeat.

latter British  

/ ˈlætə /

adjective

1. 1. denoting the second or second mentioned of two: distinguished from former

   2. ( as noun; functioning as sing or plural )

      the latter is not important

2. near or nearer the end

   the latter part of a film

3. more advanced in time or sequence; later

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Usage

What’s the difference between former and latter? Using the terms former and latter is a somewhat formal way to differentiate between items mentioned in a set or list without actually naming them. Former is used to indicate the first item mentioned, while latter is used to indicate the second item.Both words can be used as an adjective or a noun. In either case, they are both usually preceded by the.Here’s an example of an adjective use: When offered a choice between shorter hours and higher pay, most survey respondents chose the former option. In this example, the former option refers to shorter hours, because that’s the item that was mentioned first.Here’s an example of a noun use: I enjoy both vanilla and chocolate ice cream, but I prefer the latter. In this example, the latter refers to chocolate ice cream, because that’s the one that was mentioned second.Remember, using former and latter can sound a bit formal (and might even be confusing to people who aren’t familiar with the terms). A less formal (and potentially clearer) way to rephrase the former of the two examples would be to say When offered a choice between shorter hours and higher pay, most survey respondents chose shorter hours. To remember the difference, remember that latter sounds like (and is related to) the word later—so the latter item is the one that was mentioned later.Former and latter are sometimes both used in the same sequence.Here’s an example of former and latter used correctly in the same sentence.Example: The report presented two alternative plans: the former would be easier to implement; the latter would be less expensive.Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between former and latter.

Etymology

Origin of latter

First recorded before 1000; Middle English latt(e)re, Old English lætra, comparative of læt late

Example Sentences

In the latter case, it’s a question of who do we censor in our public spaces, how we make sure our public spaces are accountable to people.

From Salon

Pixar, which is notable for its emotionally rich soul and its irresistible fancy, this time comes up with almost none of the former and very little of the latter.

From The Wall Street Journal

“We know it does the latter for sure, because plants absorb CO2 and exude oxygen.... If you have a CO2-enhanced greenhouse, you can grow plants 30 or 40 percent faster.”

From Los Angeles Times

The latter were the people who had taken action to protect their data or chosen to shop elsewhere if they didn't like a firm's policies.

From BBC

The two primary sources of worries come from AI start-ups OpenAI and Anthropic, especially the latter.

From Barron's

Related Words

• recent