Meaning & use
ulterior
Last updated
Existing beyond what is openly stated or apparent, especially describing a hidden motive.
See it in a sentence
She suspected he had an ulterior motive for being so unexpectedly friendly.
His offer to help sounded generous, but he had ulterior reasons for volunteering.
A note on using this word
Almost always paired with 'motive' in everyday English, from Latin 'ulterior' meaning 'further' or 'more distant.'
Words with a similar meaning
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
overtapparent
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