• penultimate

penultimate

views updated May 29 2018

pe·nul·ti·mate / peˈnəltəmit/ • adj. last but one in a series of things; second to the last: the penultimate chapter of the book.ORIGIN: late 17th cent.: from Latin paenultimus, from paene ‘almost’ + ultimus ‘last,’ on the pattern of ultimate.

The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English

penultimate

views updated May 17 2018

penultimate XVII. f. L. pænultimus (f. pæne almost + ultimus last), after ULTIMATE.

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology T. F. HOAD

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