English

Adjective

ulterior ‎(not comparable)

1. Situated beyond, or on the farther side.
2. Beyond what is obvious or evident.
3. Being intentionally concealed so as to deceive.
   • 1960, Richard Stanley Peters, “Motives and Motivation”, in The Concept of Motivation (Studies in Philosophical Psychology), 2nd edition, London: Routledge & Kegan Paul; New York, N.Y.: Humanities Press, OCLC 613171051, page 32:

     Motives, of course, may be mixed; but this only means that a man aims at a variety of goals by means of the same course of action. Similarly a man may have a strong motive or a weak one, an ulterior motive or an ostensible one.

4. (archaic) Happening later; subsequent.

   an ulterior action‎

   • 1840, M. Lepage, “On the Means of Distinguishing Vegetable Alkalies by Chlorine, and by the Sulpho-cynanide of Potassium”, in Charles Watt and John Watt, Jun., editors, The Chemist; or Reporter of Chemical Discoveries and Improvements, and Protector of the Rights of the Chemist and Chemical Manufacturer, volume I, London: Printed for the proprietors, and sold by R. Hastings, 13, Carey Street, OCLC 7752341, page 141:

     A rather deep red coloration, which appears by the action of the first bubbles of chlorine, but which soon disappears by the ulterior action of this gas: not turbid.

Usage notes

Ulterior is primarily used today to refer to impure, covert, and external motives. In the sense “beyond, farther”, the Latin antonym is propior ‎(“nearer”), which is not used in English. Instead, proximate and ultimate are respectively used for “nearest” and “farthest” (cause, etc.).

Alternative forms

• ulteriour (obsolete)

Antonyms

• (intentionally concealed to deceive): ostensible
• (happening later): prior

Derived terms

• ulterior motive

Related terms

• ultimate
• ultra
• ultra-

Latin

Etymology

ulter +‎ -ior

Adjective

ulterior ‎(comparative of ulter)

1. further away

Inflection

Third declension, comparative variant

Antonyms

• propior

Descendants

• English: ulterior
• Spanish: ulterior

References

• ulterior in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• ulterior in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• Félix Gaffiot (1934), “ulterior”, in Dictionnaire Illustré Latin-Français, Paris: Hachette.

Spanish

Adjective

ulterior m, f ‎(plural ulteriores)

1. ulterior
2. later; subsequent

Derived terms

• ulteriormente