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

Specifically, this collection contains Operation Wolf, Operation Thunderbolt, Space Gun, and Night Striker, with the latter being closer to Space Harrier than a typical light gun game. —Ollie Barder, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2025

By that time, Rolls-Royce and Bentley (the latter distinguished only by its grille) had become anachronistic luxury cars based on the Silver Shadow unibody platform, which was launched in 1965 and made through 1980, mostly in four-door form. —Robert Ross, Robb Report, 15 Aug. 2025

Things change against the Bears and Lions, the latter being one of the most aggressive teams in the league. —Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 4 Aug. 2025

Weakness in global markets — Tesla sales in Europe and China have slumped, the latter under pressure from cheaper domestic cars — have weighed on the stock. —Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 4 Aug. 2025

Rhymes for the latter

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