What does penultimate mean?
Penultimate means immediately before the last in a sequence, and it can also name the next-to-last item itself. A tournament's semifinal, for example, is the penultimate round because it comes directly before the final. The word is especially useful in literary, academic, sporting, and competitive contexts, where it identifies a position or stage with precision. As an adjective, it commonly describes a chapter, round, place, or moment; as a noun, it refers to the item or stage concerned. Although alternatives such as 'second-last' and 'next-to-last' are more conversational, penultimate is the more elegant and established term. It derives from Latin and is built on the same root as 'ultimate', but it points specifically to the stage before the final rather than the final itself.
Immediately preceding the last item in a sequence or series.
"She finished in the penultimate position after a strong final race."
Common in formal writing, especially for stages in a competition and positions in a sequence.
The next-to-last item, position, or stage in a series.
"The team reached the penultimate before losing the final."
Often used with 'the'; in British usage, 'the penultimate' is especially common in sporting contexts.
The plural is grammatically regular but is uncommon in general use.
"The two penultimates were selected for the final race."
The penultimate position is the moment just before everything is decided: the semifinal is penultimate, and the final follows.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does penultimate come from?
The word comes from Latin penultimus, meaning 'next to last', a form related to the superlative ultimus, 'last'. English borrowed and adapted the Latin term in the late 16th century, initially using it for the penultimate syllable of a word. Its modern use for the next-to-last item in any sequence developed from that linguistic sense. Its relatives include ultimate, from Latin ultimus, and ultimatum, from the same Latin family of forms.
How penultimate is actually used
The adjective and noun are formal but widely understood. In British English, the noun is sometimes preferred in the phrase 'the penultimate', especially for a competition stage or final position.
Easily confused with penultimate
Ultimate means final or last, while penultimate means immediately before the last.