ulterior

adjective

ul·te·ri·or ˌəl-ˈtir-ē-ər

Synonyms of ulterior next

: going beyond what is openly said or shown and especially what is proper

ulterior motives

: further, future

: more distant

: situated on the farther side

ulteriorly adverb

Did you know?

Although now usually hitched to the front of the noun motive to refer to a hidden need or desire that inspires action, ulterior began its career as an adjective in the 17th century describing something occurring at a subsequent time, such as "ulterior measures" taken after a lawful request. It then started to be used to mean both "more distant" (literally and figuratively) and "situated on the farther side." The "hidden" sense, which is most familiar today, followed after those, with the word modifying nouns like purpose, design, and consequence. Ulterior comes directly from the Latin word for "farther" or "further," itself assumed to be from ulter, meaning "situated beyond."

Examples of ulterior in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

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This is usually a factor felt more in other categories, where attempts to retroactively address snubs or oversights and other such ulterior motivations hold sway. —

Mark Hughes, Forbes, 5 Dec. 2024 Whatever her ulterior motivations, Diana tells him that Danni kissed Gary. —

Emma Soren, Vulture, 12 Nov. 2024 Below are some potential players who present themselves as prime trade candidates for ulterior organizational motives. —

Kambui Bomani, Forbes, 21 Oct. 2024 And Sabo-Attwood cautions that wastewater surveillance, like much of public health, rests on trust, and that trust evaporates if people fear their data could be co-opted for ulterior purposes. —

Helen Ouyang, The Atlantic, 26 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for ulterior