ulterior

American  

[uhl-teer-ee-er] / ʌlˈtɪər i ər /

adjective

1. being beyond what is seen or made known; intentionally kept concealed.

   Is there perhaps some ulterior agenda behind their bizarre line of reasoning?

   Synonyms:

   undivulged, undisclosed, covert, hidden

2. coming at a subsequent time or stage; future; further.

   Having sent the letter, the committee considered the matter dealt with and did not recommend any ulterior action.

3. lying beyond or outside of some specified or understood boundary; more remote.

   Building this questionable website was a misuse of the school’s educational technology for purposes ulterior to learning.

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ulterior British  

/ ʌlˈtɪərɪə /

adjective

1. lying beneath or beyond what is revealed, evident, or supposed

   ulterior motives

2. succeeding, subsequent, or later

3. lying beyond a certain line or point

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Other Word Forms

• ulteriorly
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of ulterior

First recorded in 1640–50; from Latin: “farther,” comparative of ulter “beyond”; akin to ultrā “on the far side”; cf. ultra-

Explanation

An ulterior interest, argument, or revelation is one you try to keep hidden, like your ulterior motive for weeding your grandmother's garden is to have a conversation with your crush — and Grandma's neighbor — who happens to be outside, too. The adjective ulterior is a Latin word which means “more distant” or “future.” Something that is ulterior may lay the groundwork for what comes later, like a new friend who hangs out with you at your house but whose ulterior motive is to date one of your siblings, or the incredible popularity of a series of novels set in a real place having the ulterior consequences of that place becoming a tourist destination.

Example Sentences

Ulterior motives in place, the pair befriend the lonely old man.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 17, 2023

The mood was muted late Saturday afternoon at Ulterior Gallery, a narrow storefront space on the Lower East Side.

From New York Times • Mar. 17, 2020

Ulterior motives: Mark Zuckerberg just announced a new “privacy-focused vision” for Facebook: consolidating messaging across Messenger, WhatsApp, and Instagram with end-to-end encryption.

From Slate • Mar. 7, 2019

Seneca was born around 4 B.C. in the capital of the Roman province of Hispania Ulterior, now the city of Córdoba.

From The New Yorker • Jan. 26, 2015

Alex. on events in Spain in B.C. 48-7 were sent to Hirtius by Pollio, who was governor of Hispania Ulterior in B.C.

From The Student's Companion to Latin Authors by Middleton, George