What does not the latter mean?
Catherine Traffis. The terms former and latter are words used to distinguish between two things. Former directs us to the first of these two things, and latter directs us to the second (or last) of them. Do not use former or latter when you are writing about more than two things.
What does latter latter mean?
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.
How do you use latter in a sentence?
Latter sentence example
- She liked the latter plan much better.
- Faced with those two, I would far prefer the latter .
- In the latter category, one text stuck out.
- The latter part of his life was spent at Heraclea.
- When there is an option between a tree and an adjacent house, the latter is doubtless the safer choice.
Does latter mean last?
1 : coming or occurring near the end We are in the latter stages of the work. 2 : relating to or being the last thing or person mentioned Of cake or pie, I’ll choose the latter.
What comes after latter?
Former refers to the first of a set, while latter refers to the second, or last, item. They usually appear in the sentence immediately following the sequence they are describing.
What is the difference between latter and later?
Use later when referring to time. Use latter when referring to the second of two persons or things mentioned previously.
Can you use latter for three items?
You cannot use “former/latter” construction for three or more items — this cabbage has been boiled to death here on Quora. The reason is that it creates unnecessary ambiguity.
What is latter time?
It means at a time subsequent to the current time, subsequently, afterward. Occasionally, it can be used as an adjective to mean the opposite of early (the later movie). Latter is an adjective. It means belonging to a subsequent or later time, more recent. It is the opposite of former.
What does the latter mean example?
When you are comparing two things, the first one is known as the former and the second as the latter. For example, George Bush and George W. Bush were both U. S. presidents. The latter was the son of the former.
Can you use latter in a list of 3?
Former and latter can only be used if there is a list of two items. If there are more, then it’s “first” and “last” and ordinal numbers are then used. With three items, it’s “first”, “second” and “last” or “third”.
Is the latter the first or second?
Former refers to something that is first in the order of two or more things. Latter refers to something that is either second in a group of two things or last in a group of several.
Where can I use latter and later?
Use later when referring to time. Use latter when referring to the second of two persons or things mentioned previously. For example: Brenda said that she would call me later.
Where does the word latter come from in English?
The word latter comes from the comparative form of Old English laet: laetra, and meant “slower.” It took on the meaning of “second of two” in the 1550s. Modern later came, well, later. (It also comes from OE laet .) The most usual use of latter is to refer to the second of two mentioned things:
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Where does the phrase ” latter of two things ” come from?
It took on the meaning of “second of two” in the 1550s. Modern later came, well, later. (It also comes from OE laet .) The most usual use of latter is to refer to the second of two mentioned things: He was offered the part of either Othello or Iago: he chose the latter.