Meaning & use
Penultimate
Last updated
Second to last in a series or sequence.
See it in a sentence
The penultimate chapter reveals the twist that changes everything in the finale.
She finished second in the penultimate race of the season, keeping her championship hopes alive.
A note on using this word
Penultimate is sometimes mistakenly used to mean "the very best" or "ultimate," but its correct and only meaning is strictly "second to last."
Words with a similar meaning
second-to-last
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
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