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.

Examples of the latter in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The movies tend to do better in depicting agony over ecstasy, but The Testament of Ann Lee drops a potent depiction of the latter early on. —David Fear, Rolling Stone, 26 Dec. 2025

For comparison, the NBA get-in price is up 127%, versus 122% in the NFL and just 10% for MLB, the latter of which has been hampered by the melting regional sports network model. —Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 26 Dec. 2025

Pulling off the latter appearance had ongoing scheduling challenges, but when test audiences reinforced that a Lopez appearance was warranted, Sony, as they’re known to do, moved mountains to help Gormican swing last-minute additional photography involving Lopez. —Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 25 Dec. 2025

McGee’s next project may also have a Northern Irish city in the title, but the vibe has shifted, as has the commissioner, following a sign-of-the-times moment that saw Netflix swoop in and pick up the show from Channel 4 when the latter simply couldn’t afford it. —Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 25 Dec. 2025

Rhymes for the latter

• backscatter
• antimatter
• atter
• batter
• blatter
• catarrh
• chatter
• clatter
• fatter
• flatter
• hatter
• matter