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 civil action names High Meadow Management Company and 311 LLC — the latter of which owns the property — as defendants. — Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 2 Oct. 2026

East of Eden argues the latter when Adam goes to see Cyrus, now an even more important government official, in 1899. — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2026

It’s been a mixed bag of depressing and good; in the latter category is that my skin has never been better. — Tamim Alnuweiri, InStyle, 1 Oct. 2026

Paul Cassirer, the subject of the latter exhibition, is credited with bringing Impressionism to Germany and helping the country’s museums acquire top works. — Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 1 Oct. 2026

Rhymes for the latter

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