Showing posts with label Penultimate. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Penultimate. Show all posts

Jun 13, 2014

Wordology, Ultimate and Penultimate

When 'ultimate' it is used as an adjective it describes something that is the best, highest, or the most extreme example. As a noun the word ultimate means the final or last in a series or the best, greatest, and most extreme.


Penultimate means the second-to-last item in a series of things. It does not signify a large or vast number of variables, or the abundance of something. It is one.



To clarify, Chapter 14 in a 15-chapter book is the penultimate chapter and the ultimate chapter would be the 15th chapter, not necessarily the best or most exciting.