penultimate

adjective

pen·​ul·​ti·​mate pi-ˈnəl-tə-mət How to pronounce penultimate (audio)
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. There is a pair of noun synonyms that are used commonly enough to have gained entry into abridged dictionaries: penult and penultima. Although all three can refer to something that's next to last, penult and penultima are usually a bit more specific; they are used most often to identify the next to last syllable of a word. All three derive from paenultima, the feminine of paenultimus, a Latin root from paene ("almost") and ultimus ("last"). You may occasionally hear the word penultimate used as an intensified version of ultimate, as in "a race they've called 'the penultimate challenge.'" This use isn't typically found in edited prose, however, or in dictionaries. One of our editors discusses it in this video.

Examples of penultimate in a Sentence

Belle was the penultimate person to die, just hours before a slave, fifty-three-year-old Alba, wandered in delirium away from his cabin and sat down to death in front of Carlyle's airing-out cottage. Edward P. Jones, The Known World, 2003
He threw harder in the last inning than he did in the first, whiffing pinch hitter Darryl Strawberry with a 97-mph heater for the penultimate out and blowing away the final hitter, Knoblauch, with a 96-mph fastball. Tom Verducci, Sports Illustrated, 27 Mar. 2000
… regulations have cleared the penultimate hurdle and appear ready to become law … John Aloysius Farrell, Sunday Denver (CO) Post, 2 Sept. 1984
Pompey … speaks of her mother's difficult death and of her own longings for death and rises to a rare moment of lyric power in the novel's penultimate paragraph. Joyce Carol Oates, New York Times Book Review, 3 Oct. 1982
the penultimate syllable of the word
Recent Examples on the Web The Kings escaped with a last-second, 109-107 win over the Orlando Magic at Kia Center, finishing their penultimate road trip of the season 2-1 and on a good note following Thursday’s ugly loss to the Washington Wizards. Chris Biderman, Sacramento Bee, 24 Mar. 2024 Understandably, the queen assumes the decision is Wilhelm’s reactive –– and fleeting –– ploy to reunite with Simon (Omar Rudberg), who ended their relationship in the penultimate episode after expressing his fears that the pressures of the crown were changing Wilhelm and himself. Hunter Ingram, Variety, 19 Mar. 2024 Yet on all of his 28 previous visits to the penultimate tee at the ‘fifth major’, Canada’s Hadwin had safely found the island green. Jack Bantock, CNN, 15 Mar. 2024 The penultimate round is known as the Final Four, when only four teams are left. Marina Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 6 Mar. 2024 Her portrayal, which has shades of Emilia Clarke’s Daenerys Targaryen, sustains a film that would have benefited from more depth, especially because its penultimate battle offers a moment of welcome cleverness. Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Mar. 2024 But long scoring droughts and a dismal night on the boards sent their penultimate home contest to the same place as so many before. Calum McAndrew, Kansas City Star, 3 Mar. 2024 During the musical's penultimate song, as Caden Marshall poured his heart out on stage, an overly productive fog machine set off the Broadway Theatre Center's fire alarm, sending everyone outside for some minutes until the all-clear was given. Jim Higgins, Journal Sentinel, 2 Mar. 2024 But the Cardinal still emerged from the penultimate week of the regular season with at least a share of its 27th conference title. Jeff Metcalfe, The Mercury News, 27 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'penultimate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

see penult

First Known Use

1677, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of penultimate was in 1677

Podcast

Dictionary Entries Near penultimate

Cite this Entry

“Penultimate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/penultimate. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

penultimate

adjective
pen·​ul·​ti·​mate pi-ˈnəl-tə-mət How to pronounce penultimate (audio)
: next to the last
penultimate noun
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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