the latter

noun

1

: the second one of two things or people that have been mentioned

Of these two options, the former is less expensive, while the latter is less risky.

2

: the last thing or person mentioned

Of chicken, fish, and meat, I like the latter best.

3

: the thing or person that has just been mentioned

The President—or, if the latter is too busy, the Vice President—will see you shortly.

Examples of the latter in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

There are two forms of live-action defense in Expedition 33, dodging and parrying, the latter requires much tighter timing than the former, but allows for powerful counter-hits. —Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 12 May 2025

Weakest Link and 99 To Beat will air in the fall; the latter will air on Mondays at 9pm after Name That Tune, while gameshow 99 To Beat will air Wednesdays at 9pm after The Floor. —Peter White, Deadline, 12 May 2025

Epic launched its own Epic Games Store on iOS and Android in the region last year, with the latter also available in the US, but American iPhone users have had to jump through hoops to play the game on their devices. —Oliver Brandt, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 May 2025

When the former releases a contentious memoir, the latter comes to visit with her husband (Ethan Hawke) and child (Clémentine Grenier) in tow. —Radhika Seth, Vogue, 11 May 2025

Rhymes for the latter

• backscatter
• antimatter
• atter
• batter
• blatter
• catarrh
• chatter
• clatter
• fatter
• flatter
• hatter
• matter