penultimate
Americanadjective
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next to the last.
the penultimate scene of the play.
-
of or relating to a penult or the next to the last syllable in a word.
In the word appropriate, -pri- is the penultimate syllable.
noun
adjective
noun
Etymology
Origin of penultimate
Explanation
If something’s the penultimate, then it’s the second to last thing in a series. If you’re watching the penultimate episode of your favorite TV show, you know that there’s only one more episode to go. Penultimate came into English in the 17th century from the Latin word paenultimus, a combination of paene, meaning “almost,” and ultimus, meaning “last.” So if something’s penultimate, it’s “almost last”: more specifically, it’s next to last. If you’re reading a book with 20 chapters, chapter 19 is the penultimate chapter. If you’re a fan of grammar terms, you might already know that penultimate can refer to a word’s next to last syllable, called a penult.
Vocabulary lists containing penultimate
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This Week in Pop Culture: November 10 - 16, 2018
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Unit 2: Pivotal Words and Phrases
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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.
Reading about these party breakups feels like eavesdropping on a couple’s favorite argument or wandering into their penultimate couples therapy session.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026
The penultimate week of August sparked into life with U.S.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 24, 2026
Thursday's meet in Zurich is the penultimate Diamond League event of the season, with the final to take place in Brussels over two days on Friday 4 and Saturday 5 September.
From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026
Organisers confirmed the race will continue with the penultimate stage on Saturday, while tributes will be held for Tarling before the start.
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026
“Or, you know, the penultimate one,” cracked Jake.
From "The Smartest Kid in the Universe" by Chris Grabenstein
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
