Antepenultimate

Alternative forms

• antepaenultimate
• antepænultimate

Origin

ante- meaning before, pen- from the Latin paene meaning almost, and ultimate from the Latin ultimus meaning last

Full definition of antepenultimate

Adjective

1. Two before the last, i.e., the one immediately before the penultimate, in a series.
   This book has ten chapters — chapter 8 is the antepenultimate one.
• 1677, , Robert Plot, The natural history of Oxford-shire: Being an Essay Toward the Natural History of England Chapter Of the Heavens and Air, ... they sounds of an echo next strike the ultimate secondary object, then the penultimate and antepenultimate; ...

Coordinate terms

Synonyms

• propenultimate
• third last
• third to last

Noun

1. Two before the last in a series. e.g. (..., antepenultimate, penultimate, ultimate)
2. The syllable that comes two before the last in a word.The words animal, citizen, comedy, dangerous, and obvious are stressed on the antepenultimate.

Related terms

• penultimate
• preantepenultimate
• propreantepenultimate
• ultimate