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ulterior

 - 3 dictionary results

ul⋅te⋅ri⋅or

  [uhl-teer-ee-er]
Use ulterior in a Sentence
–adjective
1. being beyond what is seen or avowed; intentionally kept concealed: ulterior motives.
2. coming at a subsequent time or stage; future; further: ulterior action.
3. lying beyond or outside of some specified or understood boundary; more remote: a suggestion ulterior to the purposes of the present discussion.
Origin:
1640–50; < L: farther, akin to ultrā on the far side; cf. ultra-

Related forms:
ul⋅te⋅ri⋅or⋅ly, adverb

Synonyms:
1. hidden, covert, undisclosed, undivulged.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To ulterior
ul·te·ri·or   (ŭl-tîr'ē-ər)   
adj.  

  1. Lying beyond what is evident, revealed, or avowed, especially being concealed intentionally so as to deceive: an ulterior motive.

  2. Lying beyond or outside the area of immediate interest.

  3. Occurring later; subsequent.


[Latin, farther, comparative of *ulter, on the other side; see al-1 in Indo-European roots.]
ul·te'ri·or·ly adv.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

ulterior 
1646, from L. ulterior "more distant, further," comparative of *ulter "beyond" (see ultra). The sense in ulterior motives is first attested 1735.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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