Latter: meaning, definitions and examples

Used when referring to the second of two items previously mentioned.

• Between tea and coffee, I prefer the latter.
• He offered me a choice between a holiday in Paris or Rome, and I chose the latter.

Refers to the position coming after the first in a sequence.

• She finished in second place in the race.
• On my second attempt, I finally passed the exam.

Describes a time in the future, after a certain point.

• I'll call you later.
• They decided to postpone the meeting until later in the day.

Refers to the final person, thing, or event in a series.

• He was the last to leave the building.
• This is the last episode of the season.

Repetition of the same word ‘latter’, its usage is the same as described before.

• Given two candidates, he voted for the latter.
• Out of the two solutions, the latter is more practical.

Used to indicate the position following the first in a sequence.

• She won the second prize in the competition.
• Take the second turn to the right.

Used to describe the final item in a sequence or the most recent one in a past series.

• He was the last person to leave the room.
• In the last chapter of the book, the mystery is solved.

Used to describe something that follows after something else, often in a chronological order.

• The earthquake was followed by subsequent tremors.
• In subsequent years, the company experienced rapid growth.