last but one

English

English numbers ^(edit)

←  1	2	3  → [a], [b], [c]
Cardinal: two     Ordinal: second     Latinate ordinal: secondary     Reverse order ordinal: second to last, second from last, last but one     Latinate reverse order ordinal: penultimate     Adverbial: two times, twice     Multiplier: twofold     Latinate multiplier: double     Distributive: doubly     Group collective: both, pair, twosome     Multipart collective: doublet, couple, couplet     Greek or Latinate collective: dyad     Metric collective prefix: double-     Greek collective prefix: di-, duo-     Latinate collective prefix: bi-     Fractional: half     Metric fractional prefix: demi-     Latinate fractional prefix: semi-     Greek fractional prefix: hemi-     Elemental: twin, doublet     Greek prefix: deutero-     Number of musicians: duo, duet, duplet     Number of years: biennium

Adjective

last but one (not comparable)

1. (now chiefly UK) Penultimate, next to last, immediately preceding the end of a sequence, list, etc.

Usage notes

In addition to the Latinate penultimate, the traditional English expressions for this idea were last but one and (less often) second last. Following the 1920s, American use has favored next to last to the point that last but one now functions as a Britishism. While last but one continues to be somewhat more popular in Britain, next to last, second to last, etc. have been gaining in popularity.

Synonyms

• see penultimate

Translations

penultimate — see penultimate