antepenultimate
|an-te-pe-nul-ti-mate|
/ˌæn.tɪ.pəˈnʌl.tɪ.mət/
third from last
Etymology
'antepenultimate' originates from Latin (via Late Latin), specifically from the compound formed with 'ante-' meaning 'before' and 'paenultimus' meaning 'almost last' (from 'paene' = 'almost' + 'ultimus' = 'last').
'antepenultimate' developed from Late Latin 'antepaenultimus' (formed by prefixing 'ante-' to 'paenultimus'), which built on Classical Latin elements 'paene' + 'ultimus'; the term passed into English usage maintaining the compound structure and sense.
Initially it literally signified 'before the almost-last' in the Latin formation, and over time this crystallized into the modern English meaning 'third from last'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the item that is third from the last in a sequence (rare usage).
He referred to the antepenultimate when listing the winners.
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Antonyms
Adjective 1
third from the last; immediately before the penultimate.
Place the note in the antepenultimate folder so it will be processed near the end.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/08/22 19:32