penultimate

Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary

Contents 1 English 1.1 Etymology 1.2 Pronunciation 1.3 Adjective 1.3.1 Synonyms 1.3.2 Derived terms 1.3.3 Related terms 1.3.4 Translations 1.4 Noun

[edit] English

[edit] Etymology

From Latin paenultimus, from paene (“‘almost’”) + ultimus (“‘last’”).

[edit] Pronunciation

• IPA: /pɪ'nʌltɪmət/
•  Audio (US)^{help, file}

[edit] Adjective

penultimate (not comparable)

1. Coming next-to-last in a sequence.
   • 1878, Samuel Butler, Life and Habit, ch. 10:

     But it should frequently happen that offspring should resemble its penultimate rather than its latest phase, and should thus be more like a grand-parent than a parent.

   • 1913, Jack London, The Valley of the Moon, ch. 3:

     “Your clothes don't weigh more'n seven pounds. And seven from—hum—say one hundred an' twenty-three—one hundred an' sixteen is your stripped weight.”

     But at the penultimate word, Mary cried out with sharp reproof:

     “Why, Billy Roberts, people don't talk about such things.”

2. (linguistics) Of or pertaining to a penult.

[edit] Synonyms

• (the next-to-last): next-to-last, second last

[edit] Derived terms

• antepenultimate
• penultimately
• preantepenultimate

[edit] Related terms

• penult
• ultimate

[edit] Translations

[edit] Noun

penultimate (plural penultimates)

1. A next-to-last thing.