latter

See also: łatter

English

Etymology

From Old English lætra, comparative form of læt (“late”).

Pronunciation

• enPR: lăt'ə(r), IPA^(key): /ˈlæt.ə(ɹ)/
  • (US) IPA^(key): /ˈlæt̬.əɹ/, [ˈlæɾ.ɚ]

    • Audio (US)

      (file)

• Homophone: ladder (in accents with flapping)
• Rhymes: -ætə(r)

Adjective

latter (not comparable)

1. Relating to or being the second of two items.
   • 2017, Jennifer S. Holland, "For These Monkeys, It’s a Fight for Survival.", National Geographic (March 2017)[1]

     On sale next to dried fish and chicken feet were rats and bats (the latter's wings in a pile like leather scraps, also for sale), plus cut-up pigs and monkeys, their faces intact.

   • (Can we date this quote by Isaac Watts and provide title, author's full name, and other details?)

     the difference between reason and revelation, and in what sense the latter is superior

2. Near (or nearer) to the end.
3. In the past, but close (or closer) to the present time.
   • 1690, John Locke, An Essay Concerning Human Understanding

     Hath not navigation discovered in these latter ages, whole nations at the bay of Soldania [...]?

Antonyms

• aforesaid
• aforementioned
• former

Derived terms

• lattermost

Related terms

• latter-day
• latterly
• lattermath
• last, the superlative form of "latter"

Translations

relating to or being the second of two items

• Bulgarian: на второ място (na vtoro mjasto)
• Catalan: segon (ca), ponent (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 後者 (zh), 后者 (zh) (hòuzhě)

• Dutch: laatstgenoemd (nl)
• Faroese: seinni
• Finnish: jälkimmäinen (fi), jäljempi
• French: dernier (fr) (usually preceded by the determiner ce)
• German: letzterer (de), zweiter (de)
• Italian: secondo (it) m, quest'ultimo (it)
• Japanese: 後者 (ja) (こうしゃ, kōsha)

• Korean: 후자 (ko) (huja)
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: sistnevnt

  Nynorsk: sistnemnd

• Persian: دومی‎ (fa) (dovvomi)
• Polish: drugi (z dwóch)
• Portuguese: segundo (pt)
• Russian: второ́й (ru) (vtorój)
• Spanish: segundo (es) m, éste (es) m, ésta (es) f
• Swedish: sistnämnda (sv), andra (sv), senare (sv)

near (or nearer) to the end

• Dutch: laatste (nl)
• Finnish: jäljempi
• French: dernier (fr) (usually preceded by the determiner ce)
• German: letztere (de)
• Hungarian: utóbbi (hu)

• Maori: mātāmuri
• Norwegian: sist (no)
• Polish: późniejszy, końcowy (pl), ostatni (pl) m
• Russian: после́дний (ru) (poslédnij)
• Spanish: último (es) m, este último m, esta última f

close (or closer) to the present time

• Bulgarian: неотдавнашен (bg) (neotdavnašen)
• Dutch: jongstleden (nl), dichtsbijzijnde
• Finnish: myöhempi
• French: dernier (fr)
• German: letzter (de)

• Hungarian: későbbi (hu)
• Polish: ostatni (pl) m
• Russian: после́дний (ru) (poslédnij), более поздний (bóleje pózdnij)
• Spanish: último (es)

Anagrams

• Tatler, rattle

---

Norman

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Verb

latter

1. (Jersey) to beat, spank, cane

Synonyms

• (to cane): codrer, donner la tchêne, vrédîndgi, vrier

---

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

From Old Norse hlátr

Noun

latter m (definite singular latteren) (uncountable)

1. laughter
2. laugh

   en god latter ― a good laugh

Synonyms

• lått (Nynorsk also)

Derived terms

• latterlig
• lattermild

 

References

• “latter” in The Bokmål Dictionary.