penultimate Meaning & Definition
What Does Penultimate Mean?
Penultimate is an adjective that means Next to last, second to last; immediately preceding the end of a sequence, list, etc. It is also used to mean Of or pertaining to a penult. As a noun, it means A penult, a next to last, particularly: The penultimate day of a month. The penultimate syllable of a word or metrical line. The penultimate element of a collection of curves. The penultimate (next to lowest) card in a suit.
Penultimate in Brief
| Part of speech | adjective, noun |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /pɪˈnʌl.tɪ.mɪt/ |
| Syllables | 4 |
| Synonyms | last, penult and penultima |
| Plural | penultimates |
Penultimate Definition (Adjective)
- Next to last, second to last; immediately preceding the end of a sequence, list, etc.
- Of or pertaining to a penult.
- Relating to or denoting an element of a related collection of curves that is arbitrarily close to a degenerate form.
- pre-eminent, ultimate, best; par excellence, top-quality
Penultimate as a Noun
- A penult, a next to last, particularly: The penultimate day of a month. The penultimate syllable of a word or metrical line. The penultimate element of a collection of curves. The penultimate (next to lowest) card in a suit.
- The penultimate day of a month.
- The penultimate syllable of a word or metrical line.
- The penultimate element of a collection of curves.
- The penultimate (next to lowest) card in a suit.
Synonyms of Penultimate
Word Forms & Grammar
penultimate (not comparable)
penultimate (plural penultimates)
Words That Rhyme With Penultimate
Origin of Penultimate
Origin 1: From Latin paenultimus (“penultimate”) + -ate (adjective-forming suffix), from paene (“almost”) + ultimus (“last”). Equivalent to pene- + ultimate. Compare French pénultième.
Origin 2: From a substantivation of the above adjective. Equivalent to Latin paenultimus + -ate (noun-forming suffix).
Penultimate Pronunciation
The standard pronunciation of penultimate is /pɪˈnʌl.tɪ.mɪt/, spoken in 4 syllables, with the main stress on the second syllable (nʌl).
Quick Answers About Penultimate
Is penultimate an adjective or a noun?
Penultimate is mainly used as an adjective, but it can also be used as a noun.
What is another word for penultimate?
You can replace penultimate with words such as last, penult and penultima. See the full list of penultimate synonyms and antonyms.
What is the plural of penultimate?
The plural of penultimate is penultimates.