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.
Later in the collection, the Amy Winehouse cover “You Know I’m No Good” is an interesting choice, but it adds nothing to the original, while the penultimate “Back in Your Life” is a fine ballad.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
In 2017 he competed on the second season of Produce 101, a globally popular Korean competition franchise, where he made it to the penultimate episode before the debut of the group Wanna One.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 25, 2026
The buzz: With a goal and an assist in the Americans’ penultimate warm-up with Senegal, Christian Pulisic broke out of a career-long scoring drought and proved himself ready for the World Cup.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 10, 2026
For their penultimate friendly, Tuchel's side were without Arsenal quartet Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke after their Premier League title win and the Champions League final.
From BBC ● Jun. 8, 2026
The story of how Fischer went into a swoon in the tournament’s first half, tying for last, yet ended up in the penultimate round tying for first with Spassky, has been told many times.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
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.
