latest

From Old English latost, latest, lætest, superlative of læt, whence English late.

• (UK, US) IPA^(key): /ˈleɪt.ɪst/

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latest

1. superlative form of late: most late
2. (now rare, poetic) Last, final.
   • 1590, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene, II.i:

     Whiles the sad pang approching she does feele, / Brayes out her latest breath, and vp her eyes doth seele.

3. Most recent.

   Here is the latest news on the accident.

latest

1. superlative form of late: most late
2. At the latest.

   Complete the XYZ task latest by today 5:00PM.

For quotations of use of this term, see Citations:latest.

latest (plural latests)

1. The most recent thing, particularly information or news.

   Have you heard the latest?

   What's the latest on the demonstrations in New York?

   Have you met Jane's latest? I hear he's a hunk.

   • 1926, George Gaylord Simpson, Léo F. Laporte, editor, Simple curiosity; letters from George Gaylord Simpson ..., published 1987, page 29:

     And like other futile edifices of man these are inhabited for a brief space giving glory to the proprietor of the most unusual or striking and then left to melt back to dust and be forgotten, or worse yet, to become curiosities for generations with other "latests".

   • 1979, Edward Digby Baltzell, Puritan Boston and Quaker Philadelphia, page 54:

     It has often been said that Philadelphia is the city of firsts, Boston of bests, and New York of latests.

• lattes, sattle, stealt, taslet

latest

1. indefinite superlative of lat