Dictionary

penultimate en · ADJ · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• /pɛˈnʌl.tɪ.mɪt/
• (Australia) audio
• (General-American) audio
• /pɪˈnʌl.tɪ.mɪt/

Etymology

Etymology tree Latin paene Proto-Indo-European *h₂el- Proto-Italic *-tm̥mos Proto-Italic *oltm̥mos Latin ultimus Latin paenultimus Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-tós Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂tos Proto-Italic *-ātos Latin -ātuslbor. English -ate English penultimate From Latin paenultimus (“penultimate”) + -ate (adjective-forming suffix), from paene (“almost”) + ultimus (“last”). Equivalent to pene- + ultimate. Compare French pénultième.

Meanings

1. (UK, in US usually formal, literary, not-comparable) Next to last, second to last; immediately preceding the end of a sequence, list, etc.
   • 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. 1878, Samuel Butler, chapter 10, in Life and Habit:
   • […] they [the sounds of an echo] next strike the ultimate secondary object, then the penultimate and antepenultimate; […] 1677, Robert Plot, “Of the Heavens and Air”, in The natural history of Oxford-shire: Being an Essay Toward the Natural History of England, page 15:
   • “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.” 1913, Jack London, chapter 3, in The Valley of the Moon:
2. (not-comparable) Of or pertaining to a penult.
3. (not-comparable, rare) Relating to or denoting an element of a related collection of curves that is arbitrarily close to a degenerate form.
4. (not-comparable, proscribed) pre-eminent, ultimate, best; par excellence, top-quality
   • Ultimately, I reach the most penultimate existential questions: “What is the meaning of this? Is there any?” 2022 February 10, Ethan Marshall, “Is written media dead?”, in The Glasgow Guardian:
   • This treatment, where two therapists massage the body using warm oils infused with plant extracts, is truly the penultimate experience. 2002 January, Claire Holt, "California Driving", Los Angeles →ISSN volume 47 no 1 p. 84
   • This Book is the Proud Purple Penultimate!! 1907 Gelett Burgess Are You a Bromide? (New York: B. W. Heubsch) cover blurb

Forms

Antonyms

second

Coordinates

propreantepenultimate (adjectives denoting syllables) · ultimate (adjectives denoting syllables) · antepenultimate (adjectives denoting syllables) · preantepenultimate (adjectives denoting syllables)

Deriveds

propreantepenultimate · antepenultimate · penultimatum · preantepenultimate · penultimately · prepenultimate · propenultimate

Relateds

penult · peninitial · ultimate

Synonyms

second-from-last (immediately preceding the end of a list) · second from last (immediately preceding the end of a list) · second-to-last (immediately preceding the end of a list) · last penultimate but one (immediately preceding the end of a list) · second last (immediately preceding the end of a list) · last but one (immediately preceding the end of a list) · second to last (immediately preceding the end of a list) · next to last (immediately preceding the end of a list) · second-last (immediately preceding the end of a list) · next-to-last (immediately preceding the end of a list)

Translations (51)

sh prȅtposlednjī (next-to-last in a sequence) · sq parafundit (next-to-last in a sequence) · fa یکی مانده به آخر (next-to-last in a sequence) · ms praakhir (next-to-last in a sequence) · tr sondan bir önceki (next-to-last in a sequence) · ja 最後から二番目 (next-to-last in a sequence) · ja 次末 (next-to-last in a sequence) · fi toiseksi viimeinen (next-to-last in a sequence) · el προτελευταίος (next-to-last in a sequence) · uk передоста́нній (next-to-last in a sequence) · ro penultim (next-to-last in a sequence) · sh prȅtposljednjī (next-to-last in a sequence) · sv näst sist (next-to-last in a sequence) · sh пре̏тпосљедњӣ (next-to-last in a sequence) · sh прѐдзадњӣ (next-to-last in a sequence) · fr avant-dernier (next-to-last in a sequence) · nl voorlaatste (next-to-last in a sequence) · fr pénultième (next-to-last in a sequence) · cs předposlední (next-to-last in a sequence) · da næstsidst (next-to-last in a sequence) · et eelviimane (next-to-last in a sequence) · yue 尾二 (next-to-last in a sequence) · id kedua terakhir (next-to-last in a sequence) · es penúltimo (next-to-last in a sequence) · fo næstsíðstur (next-to-last in a sequence) · pl przedostatni (next-to-last in a sequence) · fi viimeistä edellinen (next-to-last in a sequence) · es anteúltimo (next-to-last in a sequence) · eo antaŭlasta (next-to-last in a sequence) · hy նախավերջին (next-to-last in a sequence) · sh prèdzadnjī (next-to-last in a sequence) · de vorletzte (next-to-last in a sequence) · it penultimo (next-to-last in a sequence) · is næstsíðastur (next-to-last in a sequence) · cy gobennol (next-to-last in a sequence) · sh пре̏тпоследњӣ (next-to-last in a sequence) · bg предпосле́ден (next-to-last in a sequence) · hu utolsó előtti (next-to-last in a sequence) · hy վերջընթեր (next-to-last in a sequence) · ru предпосле́дний (next-to-last in a sequence) · gl penúltimo (next-to-last in a sequence) · be перадапо́шні (next-to-last in a sequence) · nb nest sist (next-to-last in a sequence) · sk predposledný (next-to-last in a sequence) · cmn 倒數第二的 /倒数第二的 (next-to-last in a sequence) · pt penúltimo (next-to-last in a sequence) · mk претпоследен (next-to-last in a sequence) · la paenultimus (next-to-last in a sequence) · lt priešpaskutinis (next-to-last in a sequence) · sl predzadnji (next-to-last in a sequence) · ca penúltim (next-to-last in a sequence)

penultimate en · NOUN · etymology 2

Pronunciation

• /pɛˈnʌl.tɪ.mɪt/
• (Australia) audio
• (General-American) audio
• /pɪˈnʌl.tɪ.mɪt/

Etymology

From a substantivation of the above adjective. Equivalent to Latin paenultimus + -ate (noun-forming suffix).

Meanings

1. (uncommon) A penult, a next to last, particularly
   • Our Lutheran concern for the ultimates (the Gospel) has allowed us to neglect some of the penultimates (bodily healing), failing to stress the total implications of that ultimate Gospel. 1962, Minutes of the Adjourned Meeting of 22nd Biennial Convention of the United Lutheran Church in America, XXII.iv:
2. (obsolete, rare, uncommon) A penult, a next to last ▸ The penultimate day of a month.
   • At Woodstock, the penultimate of August. 1529 August 30, Bishop Stephen Gardiner, letter (1933), 33
3. (uncommon) A penult, a next to last ▸ The penultimate syllable of a word or metrical line.
   • Antepenultimate is that before the Penultimate, or the last but two. 1728, E. Chambers, Cyclopædia:
4. (obsolete, rare, uncommon) A penult, a next to last ▸ The penultimate element of a collection of curves.
5. (uncommon) A penult, a next to last ▸ The penultimate (next to lowest) card in a suit.
   • Penultimate, the. — Beginning with the lowest card but one of the suit you lead originally, if it contains more than four cards. 1876, Arthur Campbell-Walker, The Correct Card, Glossary page xiii:

Forms

Synonyms

penult · penult · penult · penult · penult

Translations (15)

bg but see последен (before the last) · sh пре̏тпоследњӣ (before the last) · de vorletzt (before the last) · ru предпосле́дний (before the last) · sh прѐдзадњӣ (before the last) · es anteúltimo (before the last) · nb nest siste (before the last) · sh prȅtposlednjī (before the last) · fi toiseksi viimeinen (before the last) · gl penúltimo (before the last) · fr avant-dernier (before the last) · it penultimo (before the last) · es penúltimo (before the last) · sh prèdzadnjī (before the last) · fi viimeistä edellinen (before the last)