Dictionary.com

latter

[ lat-er ]
/ ˈlæt ər /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR latter ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

being the second mentioned of two (distinguished from former): I prefer the latter offer to the former one.
more advanced in time; later: in these latter days of human progress.
near or comparatively near to the end: the latter part of the century.
Obsolete. last1; final.

QUIZZES

BEAT THE DOLDRUMS WITH THIS WORD OF THE DAY QUIZ!

We know you’ll tackle this quiz totis viribus! See how many words from the week of Oct 12–18, 2020 you get right!
Question 1 of 7
What does “Indigenous” mean?
characterized by cleverness or originality of invention or construction.
carried on abroad, or with other countries.
relating to or being a people who are the original, earliest known inhabitants of a region, or are their descendants.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of latter

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

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH latter

1. later, latter 2. ladder, latter

Words nearby latter

latrorse, -latry, lats, latte, latten, latter, latter-day, Latter-day Saint, Latter-Day Saints, latterly, lattermost
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Content related to latter

“Former” vs. “Latter”: What’s The Difference?If you list two things in sequence, you're likely to use "former" and "latter" to refer to them. But what do they mean and how do you use them correctly?
READ MORE

Words related to latter

recent, lag, last, modern, terminal, second, following, closing, final, eventual, hindmost, later, rearmost

Example sentences from the Web for latter

British Dictionary definitions for latter

latter
/ (ˈlætə) /

adjective (prenominal)

  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
near or nearer the endthe latter part of a film
more advanced in time or sequence; later

usage for latter

The latter should only be used to refer to the second of two items: many people choose to go by hovercraft rather than use the ferry, but I prefer the latter. The last of three or more items can be referred to as the last-named
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012