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

On the latter, Woodfin and his administration have taken an active role in trying new ideas to promote jobs and economic activity. —Nicholas Creel, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Apr. 2025

Detroit native to front office presence Perry played college hoops for one season at Oregon and the rest of his collegiate career at Wayne State in Detroit, graduating from the latter in 1986 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, according to the Wayne State athletics department. —Michael McGough, Sacbee.com, 18 Apr. 2025

The fragrance effect was alive and well at Coty in 2024, although its most recent set of earnings showed this was not enough to offset pressures from weak demand in Asia and tight inventory in the U.S. in the latter part of the calendar year, weighing on numbers. —Kathryn Hopkins, Footwear News, 18 Apr. 2025

The Eureka Stylus Elite Cordless Vacuum Cleaner falls into the latter category. —Terri Williams, Architectural Digest, 18 Apr. 2025

Rhymes for the latter

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