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1. : next to the last. the penultimate chapter of a book. 2. : of or relating to the next to the last syllable of a word. a penultimate accent. penultimately adverb. Did you know? Penultimate isn't the last word in words for things that are next to last.
Penultimate means “next to last.” Sometimes it is used erroneously as if it referred to something beyond ultimate, meaning “the very best,” but the prefix pen-means “almost.” Penultimate can seem like a superlative version of ultimate, but it isn’t.
adjective [ before noun ] formal us / pɪˈnʌl.t̬ə.mət / uk / pəˈnʌl.tɪ.mət / Add to word list. second from the last: It's the penultimate episode of the series tonight. SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases. Order and sequence - general words. alphabetize. around. back end. be a chapter of accidents idiom. catalog. chapter. cycle. front end.
Penultimate came into English in the 17th century from the Latin word paenultimus, a combination of paene, meaning “almost,” and ultimus, meaning “last.”. So if something’s penultimate, it’s “almost last”: more specifically, it’s next to last.
adjective [ before noun ] formal uk / pəˈnʌl.tɪ.mət / us / pɪˈnʌl.t̬ə.mət / Add to word list. second from the last: It's the penultimate episode of the series tonight. SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases. Order and sequence - general words. alphabetize. around. back end. be a chapter of accidents idiom. catalogue. chapter. cycle. front end.
Penultimate definition: next to the last. See examples of PENULTIMATE used in a sentence.
penultimate. (penʌltɪmət ) adjective. The penultimate thing in a series of things is the last but one. [formal] ...on the penultimate day of the Asian Games. ...in the penultimate chapter. Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers.
What does the word penultimate mean? There are seven meanings listed in OED's entry for the word penultimate, two of which are labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence. penultimate has developed meanings and uses in subjects including.
Definition of penultimate adjective in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.
Origin penultimate (1600-1700) Latin paenultimus, from paene “almost” + ultimus “last”. penultimate meaning, definition, what is penultimate: not the last, but immediately before the...: Learn more.
