penultimate
Americanadjective
-
next to the last.
the penultimate scene of the play.
-
of or relating to a penult or the next to the last syllable in a word.
In the word appropriate, -pri- is the penultimate syllable.
noun
adjective
noun
Etymology
Origin of penultimate
Explanation
If something’s the penultimate, then it’s the second to last thing in a series. If you’re watching the penultimate episode of your favorite TV show, you know that there’s only one more episode to go. Penultimate came into English in the 17th century from the Latin word paenultimus, a combination of paene, meaning “almost,” and ultimus, meaning “last.” So if something’s penultimate, it’s “almost last”: more specifically, it’s next to last. If you’re reading a book with 20 chapters, chapter 19 is the penultimate chapter. If you’re a fan of grammar terms, you might already know that penultimate can refer to a word’s next to last syllable, called a penult.
Vocabulary lists containing penultimate
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This Week in Pop Culture: November 10 - 16, 2018
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Unit 2: Pivotal Words and Phrases
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The penultimate week of August sparked into life with U.S.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 24, 2026
He said passengers were initially offered a 15% refund due to the air conditioning problems, which was increased to 40% when the cruise was cut short on the penultimate day.
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
Even in his penultimate Test in charge, when it was becoming clear the job was taking its toll on Root the person, he still managed to score 153 against West Indies in Barbados.
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
For French coach Didier Deschamps, meanwhile, the loss marked his penultimate game with a team he’s taken to two World Cup finals in 15 years as coach.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026
On the penultimate chime, the dancing flames change from blue to black, and for that moment, it is difficult to discern the fire from its cauldron.
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
