latter
Use Latter in a sentence
ərDictionary.com Unabridged
adjective
1.
occurring, coming, or being after the usual or proper time: late frosts; a late spring.
2.
continued until after the usual time or hour; protracted: a late business meeting.
3.
near or at the end of day or well into the night: a late hour.
4.
belonging to the time just before the present moment; most recent: a late news bulletin.
5.
immediately preceding the present one; former: the late attorney general.
6.
recently deceased: the late Mr. Phipps.
7.
occurring at an advanced stage in life: a late marriage.
8.
belonging to an advanced period or stage in the history or development of something: the late phase of feudalism.
adverb
Idioms 9.
after the usual or proper time, or after delay: to arrive late.
10.
until after the usual time or hour; until an advanced hour, especially of the night: to work late.
11.
at or to an advanced time, period, or stage: The flowers keep their blossoms late in warm climates.
12.
recently but no longer: a man late of Chicago, now living in Philadelphia.
13.
of late, lately; recently: The days have been getting warmer of late.
Origin:
before 900; Middle English; Old English læt slow, late; cognate with German lass slothful, Old Norse latr, Gothic lats slow, lazy, Latin lassus tired
before 900; Middle English; Old English læt slow, late; cognate with German lass slothful, Old Norse latr, Gothic lats slow, lazy, Latin lassus tired
Related forms
late·ness, noun
o·ver·late, adjective
o·ver·late·ness, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
|
Link To latter
Collins
World English Dictionary
late (leɪt) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —adj | |
| 1. | occurring or arriving after the correct or expected time: the train was late |
| 2. | (prenominal) occurring, scheduled for, or being at a relatively advanced time: a late marriage |
| 3. | (prenominal) towards or near the end: the late evening |
| 4. | at an advanced time in the evening or at night: it was late |
| 5. | (prenominal) occurring or being just previous to the present time: his late remarks on industry |
| 6. | (prenominal) having died, esp recently: my late grandfather |
| 7. | (prenominal) just preceding the present or existing person or thing; former: the late manager of this firm |
| 8. | of late recently; lately |
| —adv | |
| 9. | after the correct or expected time: he arrived late |
| 10. | at a relatively advanced age: she married late |
| 11. | recently; lately: as late as yesterday he was selling books |
| 12. | late hours rising and going to bed later than is usual |
| 13. | late in the day |
| a. at a late or advanced stage | |
| b. too late | |
| [Old English læt; related to Old Norse latr, Gothic lats] | |
| usage Since late can mean deceased, many people think it is better to avoid using this word to refer to the person who held a post or position before its present holder: the previous (not the late) editor of The Times | |
| 'lateness | |
| —n | |
| latter (ˈlætə) | |
| —adj | |
| 1. | a. denoting the second or second mentioned of two: distinguished from former |
| b. (as noun; functioning as sing or plural): the latter is not important | |
| 2. | near or nearer the end: the latter part of a film |
| 3. | more advanced in time or sequence; later |
| usage 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 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
late
O.E. læt "occurring after the customary or expected time," originally "slow, sluggish," from P.Gmc. *latas (cf. O.N. latr "sluggish, lazy," M.Du., O.S. lat, Ger. laß "idle, weary," Goth. lats "weary, sluggish, lazy," latjan "to hinder"), from PIE base *lad- "slow, weary" (cf. L. lassus "faint,
weary, languid, exhausted," Gk. ledein "to be weary"). The sense of "deceased" (as in the late Mrs. Smith) is from late 15c., from an adv. sense of "recently." Of women's menstrual periods, attested colloquially from 1962. Related: Lately; lateness.
latter
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Example sentences
The latter problem would create a new job at each solar parking lot, for an attendant to block entry for non-elec cars.
By the time the human has reached where the turtle was, the latter has already advanced a bit.
But the extent to which the latter really offsets the former is unclear.
Where the former film is agonized and sullen, the latter is mischievous and restive, daring us to be dismayed by its insolence.
Nearby Words
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