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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Off the left edge on the game’s penultimate snap, Blackwell was ready to roll, his eyes keyed on Bobenmoyer’s hands. Dan Wiederer, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025 The penultimate episode of season 1 brings Brian and Ellen to a terrible crossroads. Maureen Lee Lenker, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Sep. 2025 The one at Rockefeller Plaza took place five weeks later, on Fashion Week’s penultimate day. Ana Karina Zatarain, New Yorker, 19 Sep. 2025 By the end of the penultimate episode, Kupuohi and Ka’ahumanu are able to convince Kamehameha to use Ka’iana’s red-mouthed weapons in order to have a fighting chance against Keōua’s army. Max Gao, HollywoodReporter, 16 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for penultimate

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Penultimate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/penultimate. Accessed 4 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

penultimate

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

More from Merriam-Webster on penultimate

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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