Did you know?

Click any word in a definition or example to find the entry for that word

latter

 - definition
Close

What are red words?

90% of the time, speakers of English use just 7,500 words in speech and writing. These words appear in red, and are graded with stars. One-star words are frequent, two-star words are more frequent, and three-star words are the most frequent.

Close

Thesaurus

The thesaurus of synonyms and related words is fully integrated into the dictionary entries. Click on the T button in an entry to review the synonyms and related words for that meaning.

more
adjective, pronoun British English pronunciation: latter /ˈlætə(r)/
Latter can be used in the following ways:
as an adjective (only before a noun): the latter half of 1996 ♦ He considered his students either geniuses or idiots, and I fell into the latter category.
as a pronoun (after ‘the’): Given a choice between Tahiti and Hawaii, I’d prefer the latter.
 

Related dictionary definitions

  1. 1
    formal used for referring to the second of two people, things, or groups that have just been mentioned

    He did well in both schoolwork and sport and won a number of medals in the latter (=in sport).

    Two treaties were signed, in 1990 and 1998, but only the latter agreement was considered valid.

    See also  former
  2. 2
    used for describing the later part of a period of time

    She maintained her interest in Latin during her latter years.

    Total profit was £550 million in the latter half of 2003.

    Thesaurus entry for this meaning of  latterThesaurus entry for this meaning of latter

This is the British English definition of latter. View American English definition of latter.

Change your default dictionary and thesaurus to American English.

 

vocal fry

a speech habit in which a speaker lowers their voice at the end of a sentence

BuzzWord Article

Word of the Day Word of the Day

glottal stop

a sound made by stopping air as it passes through your throat. In some varieties of spoken...

Open Dictionary

conflict mineral

a mineral which is mined in a place where there is armed conflict, and sold to help pay for weapons

add a word

Blog

A must for anyone with an interest in the changing face of language. The Macmillan Dictionary blog explores English as it is spoken around the world today.

global English and language change from our blog