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

This way, your feet won’t get too cold or too sweaty—the latter of which is a huge game-changer on long flights. —Jillian Dara, Travel + Leisure, 11 Jan. 2026

But Marion countered with a three-pointer by Morgan, and layups by Carmen Cisero, Morgan and A'layah Smith, the latter giving the Lady Pats a 16-6 lead after the first quarter. —Arkansas Online, 10 Jan. 2026

The list of 25 qualifying podcasts also included contentious right-wing shows with Megyn Kelly, Tucker Carlson, Candace Owens and Ben Shapiro, the latter of whom campaigned heavily for a nomination. —Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 10 Jan. 2026

Monique and Spencer, a dentist, were found dead after a work colleague of the latter’s grew concerned when Spencer did not show up for work and after one co-worker had tried in vain to contact him for three hours, per 911 call recordings obtained by PEOPLE. —Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 10 Jan. 2026

Rhymes for the latter

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