Zuletzt

Zuletzt is a German adverb used to indicate the most recent item in a sequence, or the final item in a discussion, and can also mean “finally” in some contexts. It generally refers to a point in time that comes after other events previously mentioned. As a temporal adverb, it is closely tied to the notion of recency, unlike words such as schließlich which signal a conclusion rather than a chronological order.

Originating from zu (to, toward) and letzt (last), zuletzt dates from Middle High German and has retained a sense of “up to the last” or “the last one” in modern usage. The form emphasizes the final or most recent element rather than simply the previous one.

It typically appears near the end of a clause, and German speakers often place it at the end: Ich habe ihn zuletzt gesehen. It may also occur at the beginning of a sentence for emphasis: Zuletzt muss betont werden, dass... In contexts describing news or records, zuletzt is common: Die Ergebnisse wurden zuletzt veröffentlicht. It is distinct from in letzter Zeit, which means “recently” in a broader sense; zuletzt focuses on the most recent instance within a known set.

Related terms include letztlich (in the end, ultimately) and schließlich (finally, eventually). Zuletzt contrasts with schließlich, which marks a conclusion outside the time sequence, and with letztlich, which stresses the ultimate result rather than recency. In everyday speech, zuletzt is often used interchangeably with(kürzlich/ in letzter Zeit) when the emphasis is on the most recent occurrence rather than a general recent period.