# antepenultimate

> English word · Adjective · IPA /ˌæntɪpɪnˈʌltɪmət/

## Definitions
1. Two before the last, i.e., the one immediately before the penultimate, in a series.

## Etymology
Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *h₂ent-
Proto-Indo-European *-s
Proto-Indo-European *h₂énts
Proto-Indo-European *-i
Proto-Indo-European *h₂énti
Proto-Italic *anti
Classical Latin ante
Classical Latin ante-lbor.
English ante-
Latin paene
Proto-Indo-European *h₂el-
Proto-Italic *-tm̥mos
Proto-Italic *oltm̥mos
Latin ultimus
Latin paenultimus
Proto-Indo-European *-h₂
Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂
Proto-Indo-European *-tós
Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂tos
Proto-Italic *-ātos
Latin -ātuslbor.
English -ate
English penultimate
English antepenultimate
From ante- + penultimate, modelled on Latin antepaenultima/antepēnultima (syllaba) (“last syllable but two in a word”), from the feminine of antepaenultimus/antepēnultimus (“antepenultimate”).

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/antepenultimate