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
In the footage, Swift and Post Malone play ex-lovers, with the latter trying to save the singer who appears trapped in her own space.
—
Carly Thomas, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Apr. 2024
The former has served on a previous campaign and the latter has represented Liccardo, his previous campaigns, or groups associated with him prior to the election cycle.
—Jason Green, The Mercury News, 20 Apr. 2024
The yen was slightly firmer against the U.S. dollar, with the latter falling to 153.80 Japanese yen from 154.64 yen.
—Zimo Zhong, Fortune, 19 Apr. 2024
The former gives raspberry and strawberry notes, while the latter contains lychee and peach flavors.
—Antonia Debianchi, Peoplemag, 18 Apr. 2024
Porter’s Lady Bird and Deadlocked — the latter is a four-part deep dive into the history of the right-wing shift at the U.S. Supreme Court, from the Nixon era to today — show there is a demand for provocative, complex and in-depth nonfiction.
—Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Apr. 2024
When Peele introduced Patel at SXSW to introduce the first public Monkey Man screening, the latter could barely contain his emotions.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 7 Apr. 2024
Each room and suite features floor-to-ceiling windows, and the latter offers free-standing tubs and separate living rooms.
—Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 5 Apr. 2024
Playing Jackson-Davis with Green allows the latter to take more chances in double-teaming and rotating.
—Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 5 Apr. 2024
Carly Thomas, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Apr. 2024
The former has served on a previous campaign and the latter has represented Liccardo, his previous campaigns, or groups associated with him prior to the election cycle.
—Jason Green, The Mercury News, 20 Apr. 2024
The yen was slightly firmer against the U.S. dollar, with the latter falling to 153.80 Japanese yen from 154.64 yen.
—Zimo Zhong, Fortune, 19 Apr. 2024
The former gives raspberry and strawberry notes, while the latter contains lychee and peach flavors.
—Antonia Debianchi, Peoplemag, 18 Apr. 2024
Porter’s Lady Bird and Deadlocked — the latter is a four-part deep dive into the history of the right-wing shift at the U.S. Supreme Court, from the Nixon era to today — show there is a demand for provocative, complex and in-depth nonfiction.
—Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Apr. 2024
When Peele introduced Patel at SXSW to introduce the first public Monkey Man screening, the latter could barely contain his emotions.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 7 Apr. 2024
Each room and suite features floor-to-ceiling windows, and the latter offers free-standing tubs and separate living rooms.
—Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 5 Apr. 2024
Playing Jackson-Davis with Green allows the latter to take more chances in double-teaming and rotating.
—Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 5 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'the latter.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near the latter
Cite this Entry
“The latter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20latter. Accessed 26 Apr. 2024.
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