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Meaning & use

latter days

noun·Advancedliteraryold-fashioned

Last updated

UK/ˌlætə ˈdeɪz/
US/ˌlætɚ ˈdeɪz/

Meanings

  1. nounpluralreligionliterary

    The final period of history or of an era, especially in religious writing about the end of the world.

    Grammar: Plural, usually the latter days. A related phrase, the latter day, is much rarer.

    Patterns

    • in the latter days
    • the latter days of something

    The prophet warned of troubles that would come in the latter days.

    Many sermons in the old church spoke of faith being tested in the latter days.

    Some historians describe the Roman Empire's latter days as a time of constant decline.

  2. nounpluralliterary

    The last part of a person's life or of a long period such as a career or reign.

    Grammar: Plural and usually possessive: the latter days of his life.

    Patterns

    • the latter days of someone's life
    • in her latter days

    In his latter days the old sailor rarely left the harbor.

    The queen spent her latter days writing letters in the quiet of the castle.

Common combinations

in the latter days
In the latter days, the book says, people will forget the old stories.
latter days of the empire
The latter days of the empire were marked by weak rulers.
latter days of his life
He lived simply in the latter days of his life.
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints uses the term latter-day in its name.

Synonyms and how they differ

final days
Final days is plain modern English, while latter days has a solemn, biblical tone.
twilight years
Twilight years refers specifically to old age in a gentle, poetic way, while latter days can also mean the end of an era.
end times
End times refers specifically to the end of the world in religious thought, whereas latter days can also mean the end of a person's life.

Opposites

early days

Word family

latter adjective
coming later or near the end
latter-day adjective
belonging to recent times, as in a latter-day hero
latterly adverb
recently or toward the end of a period
later adjective
coming after something else in time

Commonly confused: latter days or latter?

latter days vs latter

Latter means the second of two things just mentioned, as in the latter option; it is not the same as later, which refers to time after now.

Practice

The poem describes a king who grew sad and quiet in his ____.

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