Meanings
alternative rare antepaenultimate · alternative archaic antepænultimate
- not comparableTwo 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.
1 more example
[…] 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 15Synonyms: peripenultimate, prepenultimate, propenultimate, third last, third to last, triultimate
plural antepenultimates · alternative rare antepaenultimate · alternative archaic antepænultimate
- human sciencesThe syllable that comes two before the last in a word.
The words animal, citizen, comedy, and antepenultimate are stressed on the antepenultimate.
Synonyms: antepenult
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveTwo before the last, i.e., the one immediately before the penultimate, in a series.
nounThe syllable that comes two before the last in a word.
More synonyms by meaning
adjectivethird from last
nounthe 3rd syllable of a word counting back from the end
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂ent-
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂énts
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂énti
- Proto-Italic*anti
- Latinante
- Classical Latinante-
- Englishante-
- Latinpaene
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂el-
- Proto-Italic*oltm̥mos
- Latinultimus
- Latinpaenultimus
- Englishpenultimate
- Englishantepenultimate
From ante- + penultimate, modelled on Latin antepaenultima/antepēnultima (syllaba) (“last syllable but two in a word”), from the feminine of antepaenultimus/antepēnultimus (“antepenultimate”).
More words from Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian предпредпоследен, предпредпоследна сричка
- предпредпоследен (predpredposleden)two before the last
- предпредпоследна сричка (predpredposledna srička)third-to-last syllable, the syllable last but two
Catalan antepenúltim
- antepenúltimtwo before the last
Chinese Mandarin 倒数第三
- 倒数第三 (dàoshǔ dì sān)two before the last
Danish antepenultimær, tredjesidst or trediesidst
- antepenultimærtwo before the last
- tredjesidst or trediesidsttwo before the last
Dutch derdelaatste
- derdelaatstetwo before the last
Finnish kolmanneksi viimeinen
- kolmanneksi viimeinentwo before the last
French antépénultième
- antépénultièmetwo before the last
German drittletzter, vorvorletzter
- drittletztertwo before the last
- vorvorletztertwo before the last
- drittletzte Silbethird-to-last syllable, the syllable last but two
- Antepänultimathird-to-last syllable, the syllable last but two
Greek αντιπροτελευταίος, προπροτελευταίος
- αντιπροτελευταίος (antiproteleftaíos)two before the last
- προπροτελευταίος (proproteleftaíos)two before the last
- αντιπροπαραλήγουσα (antiproparalígousa)third-to-last syllable, the syllable last but two
Hebrew מלעיל דמלעיל
- מלעיל דמלעיל (mil'él di-mil'él)two before the last
Hungarian hátulról a harmadik
- hátulról a harmadiktwo before the last
Italian terzultimo
- terzultimotwo before the last
Japanese 次々末
- 次々末 (jijimatsu)two before the last
Latin antepaenultimus
- antepaenultimustwo before the last
Polish trzeci od końca, przedprzedostatni
- trzeci od końcatwo before the last
- przedprzedostatnitwo before the last
Portuguese antepenúltimo
- antepenúltimotwo before the last
Romanian antepenultim
- antepenultimtwo before the last
Russian предпредпосле́дний
- предпредпосле́дний (predpredposlédnij)two before the last
Spanish antepenúltimo
- antepenúltimotwo before the last
Swedish nästnäst sist, näst näst sist
- nästnäst sisttwo before the last
- näst näst sisttwo before the last
- tredje från slutettwo before the last
Ukrainian передпередоста́нній
- передпередоста́нній (peredperedostánnij)two before the last
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with antepenultimate
All rhymes →Cite this entry
antepenultimate. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/antepenultimate
“antepenultimate.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/antepenultimate. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “antepenultimate,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/antepenultimate.
Source: antepenultimate on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.