antepenultimate
Americanadjective
noun
Other Word Forms
- preantepenultimate adjective
Etymology
Origin of antepenultimate
First recorded in 1670–80; antepenult + (ult)imate
Explanation
Something that's antepenultimate is the third from the last. If you're the antepenultimate fan in line at a book signing, there are only two people standing behind you. Ultimate is the last or best, penultimate is the second to last, and finally antepenultimate is the third from last. This fancy adjective comes from the Latin linguistic term antepaenultima, "third from last syllable in a word," and its roots are ante, "before," paene, "almost," and ultima, "last." Want to sound impressive? Try using it when you're reading your favorite book: "I’m on the antepenultimate chapter — just two more to go before the book ends!"
Vocabulary lists containing antepenultimate
Florida's B.E.S.T. Roots: ante, anti
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Before You Know It: Ante
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Words with 15 or More Letters, List 5
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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.
What we learned on the third-to-last — or antepenultimate, for all you wordsmiths out there — weekend of the regular season …
From Seattle Times • Feb. 21, 2022
Appropriately enough, the easiest way to explain my point is to compare "The Last Jedi" to the "Breaking Bad" antepenultimate episode "Ozymandias," which like "The Last Jedi" was directed by Rian Johnson.
From Salon • Jul. 12, 2018
It’s typical of The Americans, then, that its antepenultimate episode, rather than its finale, is called “The Summit.”
From Slate • May 31, 2018
On Tuesday, he plays the antepenultimate sonatas of Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert; on Thursday, the penultimate.
From New York Times • Mar. 5, 2015
Those that came direct keep the stress on the vowel which was antepenultimate and is in English penultimate, and this vowel is short whatever its original quantity.
From Society for Pure English Tract 4 The Pronunciation of English Words Derived from the Latin by Sargeaunt, John
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.
