Former vs. Latter

In this lesson, we are going to look into the differences and similarities between 'former' and 'latter'. I promise you'll like it. C'mon.

What Is Their Main Difference?

Both of them refer to the position of something/someone among two or more others. However, 'former' refers to the one that comes first when we have two or more things/people. 'Latter', on the other hand, is about the last one/person among two or several objects/people.

Differences

As stated above, 'former' refers to the first object/person when we have two or more things/people. Look below:

The former of the two presidents mentioned was a killer.

The former student was the one that had bullied me.

The former being the toxic one and the latter being the victim.

'Latter', however, is the exact opposite. It refers tot the last one when we have two or several people/objects. Look at the examples below:

The latter of the five mentioned was made extraordinarily for Pegasus.

Similarities

Both refer to the position of someone/something when we have two or more things/people. Check out the examples below:

Could you please repeat the former name?

Jonathon's name was always the latter in the list.

Are They Interchangeable?

Both refer to the position of something/someone, but they still cannot be used interchangeably because they are opposites. Compare:

✓ The latter was George Bush and he is extremely famous.

✓ The former was George Bush and he is extremely famous.

This one is correct but it has a totally different meaning from the other one.

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