Phrase guide

last but not least

adv · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • /ˈlæst bʌt nɑt ˈlist/
  • /ˈlɑːst bʌt nɒt ˈliːst/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

adv

Meaning 1

An expression to start the last item of a list, emphasising that while it is listed last, it is just as important as the rest of the items.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adverb

Meaning 2

in addition to all the foregoing

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • last not least he plays the saxophone

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: last not least

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Rhetoric: A possible/common pattern to arrange a speech or essay suggests putting your strongest and thus most important argument favoring your own opinion first and conclude with the weakest, thus least important argument.

Across languages

Translations

37 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: أخيراً وليس آخراً — An expression to start the last item of a list
  • Bengali: শেষ তবে কম গুরত্ত্বপূর্ণ নয় (śeś tobe kom gurottopurno noẏ) — An expression to start the last item of a list
  • Bulgarian: и не́ на после́дно мя́сто (i né na poslédno mjásto) — An expression to start the last item of a list
  • Chinese Mandarin: 最後但同樣重要的是 /最后但同样重要的是 (zuìhòu dàn tóngyàng zhòngyào de shì) — An expression to start the last item of a list
  • Czech: v neposlední řadě — An expression to start the last item of a list
  • Danish: sidst, men ikke mindst — An expression to start the last item of a list
  • Dutch: laatst maar niet het minst — An expression to start the last item of a list
  • Esperanto: laste sed ne malpleje — An expression to start the last item of a list
  • Finnish: viimeisimpänä muttei vähäisimpänä — An expression to start the last item of a list
  • French: le dernier mais non le moindre — An expression to start the last item of a list
  • German: zu guter Letzt — An expression to start the last item of a list
  • German: nicht zuletzt — An expression to start the last item of a list
  • Hebrew: אַחֲרוֹן אַחֲרוֹן חָבִיב (akharón akharón khavív) — An expression to start the last item of a list
  • Hungarian: végül, de nem utolsósorban — An expression to start the last item of a list
  • Icelandic: síðast en ekki síst — An expression to start the last item of a list
  • Irish: an ball is mó ar deireadh — An expression to start the last item of a list
  • Irish: an meall is mó ar deireadh — An expression to start the last item of a list
  • Italian: ultimo ma non meno importante — An expression to start the last item of a list
  • Norwegian Bokmål: sist, men ikke minst — An expression to start the last item of a list
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: sist, men ikkje minst — An expression to start the last item of a list
  • Polish: na koniec — An expression to start the last item of a list
  • Portuguese: (por) último, mas não menos importante — An expression to start the last item of a list
  • Romanian: ultimul dar nu cel din urmă — An expression to start the last item of a list
  • Romanian: nu în ultimul rând — An expression to start the last item of a list
  • Russian: коне́чно (konéčno) — An expression to start the last item of a list
  • Russian: после́дний по счёту, но не по ва́жности (poslédnij po sčótu, no ne po vážnosti) — An expression to start the last item of a list
  • Russian: хотя́ и после́дний, но не ме́нее ва́жный (xotjá i poslédnij, no ne méneje vážnyj) — An expression to start the last item of a list
  • Serbo-Croatian: на крају крајева — An expression to start the last item of a list
  • Serbo-Croatian: и наравно — An expression to start the last item of a list
  • Serbo-Croatian: последње, али не и најмање важно — An expression to start the last item of a list
  • Serbo-Croatian: na kraju krajeva — An expression to start the last item of a list
  • Serbo-Croatian: i naravno — An expression to start the last item of a list
  • Serbo-Croatian: poslednje, ali ne i najmanje važno — An expression to start the last item of a list
  • Slovak: v neposlednom rade — An expression to start the last item of a list
  • Spanish: por último, pero no menos importante — An expression to start the last item of a list
  • Swedish: sist men inte minst — An expression to start the last item of a list
  • Yiddish: אחרון אחרון חבֿיבֿ (akhren akhren khovev) — An expression to start the last item of a list