Latest means “the newest, most recent”, and more may follow it, while last means “final” or “previous”. The latest news is fresh news, the last train is the final train of the day, and my last job is my previous job.
last or latest — can you pick the right one?
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the last + train/day/chance/page (= final); last + week/month/year (= previous); my last + job/visit; the latest + news/version/update/model
- We caught the last train home and got back just after midnight.
- Have you installed the latest update? It fixes the problem with the camera.
- At my last job I worked from home three days a week.
What changed
First versionHave you heard the last news about the train strike?
RevisionHave you heard the latest news about the train strike?
Last can also point to the most recent thing, as in my last job, so the last news can seem correct. But it sounds like “the final news, there won't be any more”. For the most recent news, say the latest news.
Last week without the means “the week before this one”: I saw her last week. The last week means the past seven days up to today, or the final week of something: the last week of the holidays.
Your turn
The developers release an update every month, so make sure you have the ___ version before the meeting.
Show the answer
latest — Updates come out every month, so you need the newest version, which others will follow: latest. The last version would mean the final or the previous version, and that contradicts the context.
Write to a colleague or friend about something new in your field. Use the latest for something new and last with week, month or year.
Have you tried the latest version of our booking app? The design team finished it last month.
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