ulterior

adjective

ul·​te·​ri·​or ˌəl-ˈtir-ē-ər How to pronounce ulterior (audio)
1
: going beyond what is openly said or shown and especially what is proper
ulterior motives
2
b
: more distant
c
: situated on the farther side
ulteriorly adverb

Did you know?

Although now usually hitched to the front of the noun motive to refer to a hidden need or desire that inspires action, ulterior began its career as an adjective in the 17th century describing something occurring at a subsequent time, such as "ulterior measures" taken after a lawful request. It then started to be used to mean both "more distant" (literally and figuratively) and "situated on the farther side." The "hidden" sense, which is most familiar today, followed after those, with the word modifying nouns like purpose, design, and consequence. Ulterior comes directly from the Latin word for "farther" or "further," itself assumed to be from ulter, meaning "situated beyond."

Examples of ulterior in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Today, the University recruits students and VIPs (like NFL stars, Olympic athletes, and high-profile alumni) to lead the Two-Bits cheer and rile up the crowd, and it’s always done in the spirit of Florida pride with no ulterior financial motive, as Edmondson himself established. Skye Sherman, Southern Living, 4 Oct. 2025 With plenty of historical analogs to choose from, privacy advocates warn that any surveillance that starts as a method of capturing immigrants could soon be deployed for ulterior purposes. Dell Cameron, Wired News, 3 Oct. 2025 Could Donal have some ulterior, possibly financial, motive for wanting to check out the family business again? Jessica Kiang, Variety, 14 Sep. 2025 The Dershowitz theory does not compute because the government invariably manipulates projections about future harm for ulterior partisan or personal motives. Bruce Fein, Baltimore Sun, 24 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for ulterior

Word History

Etymology

Latin, farther, further, comparative of *ulter situated beyond, from uls beyond; akin to Latin ollus, ille, that one, Old Irish indoll beyond

First Known Use

1646, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Time Traveler
The first known use of ulterior was in 1646

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Cite this Entry

“Ulterior.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ulterior. Accessed 15 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

ulterior

adjective
ul·​te·​ri·​or ˌəl-ˈtir-ē-ər How to pronounce ulterior (audio)
: kept hidden in order to achieve a particular result
ulterior motives

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