último

Último is a Spanish adjective meaning last, final, or latest, used to indicate position in time or sequence or to express currency of information. It agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies: último and última for masculine and feminine singular, últimos and últimas for plural. As a noun phrase it can function as “the last one” or “the latest one,” for example, el último, la última.

In phrases with the definite article, último often describes the most recent item: la última noticia, el último capítulo. When the adjective precedes the noun, it can emphasize recency or a sense of being the most recent in a category, as in la última novela publicada or el último día de la semana. Postnominal forms are possible but less common in contemporary usage.

Etymology traces último to Latin ultimus, the superlative of ulter meaning farthest or beyond, related to the English word ultimate. It shares cognates in Portuguese último and Italian ultimo, all with similar meanings. The root also gives rise to related forms such as últimamente, meaning lately, an adverb derived from the same stem.

Usage notes: último is distinct from final in some contexts. Final often denotes the end point of a process, while último more commonly signals recency or the last item in a sequence. However, both can overlap in meaning depending on context. In everyday language, último is widely used to refer to the most recent or the last in a series.

See also: último (as a word in Spanish), últimamente, final, último recurso.