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

Breakfast is currently available both in the Riverside Lounge or in-room—the latter definitely recommended, ideally on the balcony table for a particularly serene start to the day. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Nov. 2026

The 10-piece Burberry capsule — launched exclusively in the new Palace London flagship — falls under the latter. — Joe Bobowicz, Vogue, 5 Nov. 2026

The person who discovered *sshole said OpenWRT is affected, but by default, that OS uses the Dropbear package, not OpenSSH, for SSH connections (though maintainers provide instructions for installing the latter). — Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 5 Nov. 2026

Ostensibly, progress toward the latter is being made elsewhere in the GM portfolio. — Byron Hurd, The Drive, 5 Nov. 2026

Rhymes for the latter

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