penultimate meaning (literary): definition

penultimate

adj

US /pəˈnəltəmət/ · /pɪˈnʌltɪmət/

Etymology From Latin paenultimus (“penultimate”) + -ate (adjective-forming suffix), from paene (“almost”) + ultimus (“last”). Equivalent to pene- + ultimate. Compare French pénultième.

Scholarly, Sciences UK, Literary, In US usually formal Next to last, second to last; immediately preceding the end of a sequence, list, etc.

[…] they [the sounds of an echo] next strike the ultimate secondary object, then the penultimate and antepenultimate; […]1677, Robert Plot, “Of the Heavens and Air”, in The natural history of Oxford-shire: Being an Essay Toward the Natural History of England, page 15:
But it should frequently happen that offspring should resemble its penultimate rather than its latest phase, and should thus be more like a grand-parent than a parent.1878, Samuel Butler, chapter 10, in Life and Habit:

1 more example

“Your clothes don't weigh more'n seven pounds. And seven from—hum—say one hundred an' twenty-three—one hundred an' sixteen is your stripped weight.” But at the penultimate word, Mary cried out with sharp reproof: “Why, Billy Roberts, people don't talk about such things.”1913, Jack London, chapter 3, in The Valley of the Moon:

Human sciences, Linguistics, Sciences Of or pertaining to a penult.

Mathematics, Sciences Rare Relating to or denoting an element of a related collection of curves that is arbitrarily close to a degenerate form.

Proscribed pre-eminent, ultimate, best; par excellence, top-quality

This Book is the Proud Purple Penultimate!!1907 Gelett Burgess Are You a Bromide? (New York: B. W. Heubsch) cover blurb
This treatment, where two therapists massage the body using warm oils infused with plant extracts, is truly the penultimate experience.2002 January, Claire Holt, "California Driving", Los Angeles →ISSN volume 47 no 1 p. 84

1 more example

Ultimately, I reach the most penultimate existential questions: “What is the meaning of this? Is there any?”2022 February 10, Ethan Marshall, “Is written media dead?”, in The Glasgow Guardian:

Synonyms: next to last, next-to-last, second to last, second-to-last, second from last, second-from-last, second last, second-last, last but one, last penultimate but one
Antonyms: second
Derived terms: antepenultimate, penultimately, penultimatum, preantepenultimate, prepenultimate, propenultimate, propreantepenultimate
Related terms: penult, ultimate, peninitial
Coordinate terms: ultimate, antepenultimate, preantepenultimate, propreantepenultimate

penultimate

noun

Etymology From a substantivation of the above adjective. Equivalent to Latin paenultimus + -ate (noun-forming suffix).

Uncommon A penult, a next to last, particularly

Our Lutheran concern for the ultimates (the Gospel) has allowed us to neglect some of the penultimates (bodily healing), failing to stress the total implications of that ultimate Gospel.1962, Minutes of the Adjourned Meeting of 22nd Biennial Convention of the United Lutheran Church in America, XXII.iv:

› A penult, a next to last

Obsolete, Rare, Uncommon The penultimate day of a month.

At Woodstock, the penultimate of August.1529 August 30, Bishop Stephen Gardiner, letter (1933), 33

Human sciences, Linguistics, Literature, Media, Publishing, Sciences Uncommon The penultimate syllable of a word or metrical line.

Antepenultimate is that before the Penultimate, or the last but two.1728, E. Chambers, Cyclopædia:

Mathematics, Sciences Obsolete, Rare, Uncommon The penultimate element of a collection of curves.

Card games, Games Uncommon The penultimate (next to lowest) card in a suit.

Penultimate, the. — Beginning with the lowest card but one of the suit you lead originally, if it contains more than four cards.1876, Arthur Campbell-Walker, The Correct Card, Glossary page xiii: