Latter

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈlæt.ə(ɹ)/

Definitions

1. Referring to the second or last item in a previously mentioned pair or sequence
2. Denoting the latter part or the second of two elements just discussed
3. Indicating the second mentioned option in a comparison or list

Etymology: "Latter" is a comparative in disguise. Its Old English ancestor, "lætra," was the comparative of "læt," meaning "late," so the word carries the same idea as "later" with a different shape. English has kept both forms, and they are doublets, two words descended from one source. The sense "the second of two" grew naturally from that comparison: when you have only two things, the later one is the second one mentioned. The word's relationship to "last" is equally close. "Last" and "latest" belong to the same family, so "latter" sits in the middle of a small cluster of forms built on the same root. The result is that "latter," which now feels like a fussy, formal choice, is really just a plain comparative that happened to specialise.

Synonyms: later, last, final

Antonyms: former, earlier, preceding