second-to-last

The term "second-to-last" is a modern English compound adjective built for explicit clarity. It logically sequences items by combining the ordinal number "second," the relational preposition "to," and the superlative adjective "last." This construction creates a transparent meaning: the item positioned immediately before the final one. While "penultimate" serves the same purpose with Latinate elegance, "second-to-last" employs native Germanic and Romance elements in a straightforward, descriptive phrase accessible to all learners, exemplifying English's analytical tendency to form new terms from familiar components.

This is a hyphenated compound phrase formed from existing English words. 'Second' (from Latin secundus, meaning "following, next"), 'to' (a preposition indicating position or relation), and 'last' (from Old English latost, meaning "final").