adj · 4 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
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
lăt'ənon-rhotic; r
/ˈlæt.ə(ɹ)/non-rhotic
General-American:/ˈlæt.ɚ/
General-American:[ˈlæɾ.ɚ]
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
homophone: ladder (in accents with flapping)
rhymes with -ætə(ɹ)
CMU ARPABET:L AE1 T ER0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Relating to or being the second of two items.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
Examples
The archaic past participle shapen is only used in misshapen, ill-shapen, and well-shapen (the latter two are much less common, though).
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
adj
Meaning 2
Near (or nearer) to the end.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
Examples
the latter part of the century
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adj
Meaning 3
In the past, but close (or closer) to the present time.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
Examples
In his latter years my dad became very absent-minded.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: later
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
the second of two or the second mentioned of two
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
Tom and Dick were both heroes but only the latter is remembered today
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: former
Broader terms: second
History
Etymology
From Middle English latter, lattere, lattre, from Old English lætra, comparative form of læt (“late”). Equivalent to late + -er, thus a doublet of later; also, related to last, whose doublet is latest.
Across languages
Translations
69 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
на второ място
(na vtoro mjasto)
— relating to or being the second of two items
Catalan:
segon
— relating to or being the second of two items
Catalan:
ponent
— relating to or being the second of two items
Chinese Mandarin:
後者 /后者
(hòuzhě)
— relating to or being the second of two items
Dutch:
laatstgenoemd
— relating to or being the second of two items
Esperanto:
lasta
— relating to or being the second of two items
Esperanto:
ĉi-lasta
— relating to or being the second of two items
Faroese:
seinni
— relating to or being the second of two items
Finnish:
jälkimmäinen
— relating to or being the second of two items
Finnish:
jäljempi
— relating to or being the second of two items
German:
letzterer
— relating to or being the second of two items
German:
zweiter
— relating to or being the second of two items
Hungarian:
utóbbi
— relating to or being the second of two items
Hungarian:
második
— relating to or being the second of two items
Italian:
secondo
— relating to or being the second of two items
Italian:
quest'ultimo
— relating to or being the second of two items
Japanese:
後者
(kōsha)
— relating to or being the second of two items
Korean:
후자
(huja)
— relating to or being the second of two items
Norn:
ettri
— relating to or being the second of two items
Norwegian Bokmål:
sistnevnt
— relating to or being the second of two items
Norwegian Nynorsk:
sistnemnd
— relating to or being the second of two items
Occitan:
aiceste
— relating to or being the second of two items
Occitan:
este
— relating to or being the second of two items
Occitan:
aqueste
— relating to or being the second of two items
Persian:
دومی
(dovvomi)
— relating to or being the second of two items
Polish:
drugi (z dwóch)
— relating to or being the second of two items
Portuguese:
segundo
— relating to or being the second of two items
Portuguese:
último
— relating to or being the second of two items
Portuguese:
este
— relating to or being the second of two items
Russian:
второ́й
(vtorój)
— relating to or being the second of two items
Spanish:
segundo
— relating to or being the second of two items
Spanish:
éste
— relating to or being the second of two items
Spanish:
esto
— relating to or being the second of two items
Spanish:
aqueste
— relating to or being the second of two items
Spanish:
aquesto
— relating to or being the second of two items
Swedish:
sistnämnda
— relating to or being the second of two items
Swedish:
andra
— relating to or being the second of two items
Swedish:
senare
— relating to or being the second of two items
Vietnamese:
sau
— relating to or being the second of two items
Vietnamese:
thứ hai
— relating to or being the second of two items
Vietnamese:
thứ nhì
— relating to or being the second of two items
Dutch:
laatste
— near (or nearer) to the end
Finnish:
jäljempi
— near (or nearer) to the end
German:
letztere
— near (or nearer) to the end
Hungarian:
későbbi
— near (or nearer) to the end
Hungarian:
hátrébb lévő
— near (or nearer) to the end
Māori:
mātāmuri
— near (or nearer) to the end
Norwegian:
sist
— near (or nearer) to the end
Polish:
późniejszy
— near (or nearer) to the end
Polish:
końcowy
— near (or nearer) to the end
Polish:
ostatni
— near (or nearer) to the end
Russian:
после́дний
(poslédnij)
— near (or nearer) to the end
Spanish:
último
— near (or nearer) to the end
Spanish:
este último
— near (or nearer) to the end
Vietnamese:
sau cùng
— near (or nearer) to the end
Bulgarian:
неотдавнашен
(neotdavnašen)
— close (or closer) to the present time
Dutch:
jongstleden
— close (or closer) to the present time
Dutch:
dichtsbijzijnde
— close (or closer) to the present time
Finnish:
myöhempi
— close (or closer) to the present time
French:
dernier
— close (or closer) to the present time
German:
letzter
— close (or closer) to the present time
Hungarian:
utóbbi
— close (or closer) to the present time
Hungarian:
újabb
— close (or closer) to the present time
Polish:
ostatni
— close (or closer) to the present time
Russian:
после́дний
(poslédnij)
— close (or closer) to the present time
Russian:
более поздний
(bóleje pózdnij)
— close (or closer) to the present time
Spanish:
último
— close (or closer) to the present time
Vietnamese:
gần đây
— close (or closer) to the present time
Vietnamese:
mới đây
— close (or closer) to the present time