Latter
/ˈlætər/noun
Coming after or second in a pair or series.
Did you know?“Latter” is the comparative form of Old English later, originally meaning “more late,” so its power comes from an old time-ranking system, not any mystical or hidden meaning.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*lē-
“to let go, slacken, be slow”
Old English
OE
lætra
“slower, later”
Old English
OE
lætra
“the latter, the second of two”
Middle English
ME
latter
“later; second in order”
Modern English
English
latter
“the second of two or the second mentioned”