latter

[ lat-er ]

See synonyms for latter on Thesaurus.com

adjective

being the second mentioned of two (distinguished from former): I prefer the latter offer to the former one.
more advanced in time; later: It's a shame that famine still exists in these latter days of human progress.

near or comparatively near to the end: This style was commonly produced in the latter part of the century.
Obsolete. last; final.

noun

the lat·ter, the second mentioned of a set of two (distinguished from the former): The only difference between the inexpensive digital watch and the expensive one is that the latter can also monitor your heartbeat.

Origin of latter

First recorded before 1000; Middle English latt(e)re, Old English lætra, comparative of læt late

Words that may be confused with latter

1. later, latter
2. ladder, latter

Words Nearby latter

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use latter in a sentence

That latter fear crossed my mind more than once during the evening.
The Craziest Date Night for Single Jews, Where Mistletoe Is Ditched for Shots | Emily Shire | December 26, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
In both of these latter cases, their eyes show more focus than fun, like tonight is a job.
The Craziest Date Night for Single Jews, Where Mistletoe Is Ditched for Shots | Emily Shire | December 26, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
The former is controlled by the Palestinian Authority, the latter by the government of Israel.
Inside Hebron, Israel’s Heart of Darkness | Michael Tomasky | November 21, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
The former believed in the role of the state as a provider, while the latter favored an iron fist approach to governance.
How WWI Produced the Holocaust | J.P. O’Malley | November 21, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
The trouble was, he alienated Pope Pius VI and Pius VII—the latter he actually arrested.
Napoleon Was a Dynamite Dictator | J.P. O’Malley | November 7, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST

Mrs. Woodbury paints in oils and water-colors; the latter are genre scenes, and among them are several Dutch subjects.
Women in the fine arts, from the Seventh Century B.C. to the Twentieth Century A.D. | Clara Erskine Clement
Without the former quality, knowledge of the past is uninstructive; without the latter, it is deceptive.
Pearls of Thought | Maturin M. Ballou
The latter trod on the toes of the former, whereupon the former threatened to "kick out of the cabin" the latter.
The Book of Anecdotes and Budget of Fun; | Various
Give not up thy heart to sadness, but drive it from thee: and remember the latter end.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version | Various
He passed the latter part of his life in poverty, and towards the close of it, was confined in a madhouse.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology | Joel Munsell

British Dictionary definitions for latter

latter

/ (ˈlætə) /

adjective(prenominal)

- denoting the second or second mentioned of two: distinguished from former
- (as noun; functioning as sing or plural): the latter is not important
near or nearer the end: the latter part of a film

more advanced in time or sequence; later

usage For latter

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 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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