the latter

noun

1
: the second one of two things or people that have been mentioned
Of these two options, the former is less expensive, while the latter is less risky.
2
: the last thing or person mentioned
Of chicken, fish, and meat, I like the latter best.
3
: the thing or person that has just been mentioned
The President—or, if the latter is too busy, the Vice President—will see you shortly.

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web Saturday’s Open Division championship game between Desert Vista and Millennium was the latter. Theo Mackie, The Arizona Republic, 4 Mar. 2023 Two standouts are the pyramids of El Tigre and La Danta, the latter with a height of 236 feet and a volume greater than those of the pyramids of Egypt and the Pyramid of the Sun in Teotihuacán, Mexico, Hansen said. Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2023 If the response is the latter, Lapuerta considers that a micro trend, saying that those are probably not good investments in the long run. Frances Solá-santiago, refinery29.com, 1 Mar. 2023 Forever is a long time to be stuck with the wrong china (or spouse for that matter), but have no fear: Rachel Zoe is here to help brides and grooms-to-be (with the former, not the latter). Lindzi Scharf, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Feb. 2023 The former will dive deep into the private aviation industry and cryptocurrency while the latter is expected to follow the UK’s high finance scene. Louisa Ballhaus, Robb Report, 28 Feb. 2023 The former has improved during ACC play — over his last 15 games, he's tallied 75 assists against just 47 turnovers — but Payne is still waiting on the latter to follow suit. The Courier-Journal, 27 Feb. 2023 Chef and co-owner Andrew Markert grafts Chinese shrimp toast onto a Vietnamese banh mi with an application of a Philippine-style crab fat sauce, the latter fortified with enough crab meat to resemble a kind of pâté. Tim Carman, Washington Post, 27 Feb. 2023 Ingersoll was a longtime friend of Greenberg, even before the latter was elected Seminole’s tax collector in November 2016. Martin E. Comas, Orlando Sentinel, 27 Feb. 2023 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'the latter.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Dictionary Entries Near the latter

Cite this Entry

“The latter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20latter. Accessed 25 Mar. 2023.

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