penultimate floor

USAGE SUMMARY

The term "penultimate floor" is correct and usable in written English.
It is commonly used to refer to the second-to-last floor of a building or structure. For example, "We decided to take the elevator to the penultimate floor before climbing the stairs to the top."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

SAN FRANCISCO — On a characteristically foggy evening here, a group of predominantly single venture capitalists, tech executives, hedge-fund managers and philanthropists gathered for a cocktail party in a penultimate-floor suite at the St . Regisapartment complex.

The New York Times

The penultimate level of facebookpersona and hand are revealed.

Security Informatics

One of the most critical internal column loss scenarios is loss of a penultimate-external column on the ground floor of a structure.

International Journal of Concrete Structures and Materials

It is worth emphasising that although there was uncertainty regarding kerb-edge location and precise floor height when lvf was occluded from penultimate step contact onwards, there were no trips or stumbles, and no reduction in stepping distance; indicating there was no fundamental alteration in ongoing gait.

Plosone

But for the Platform's penultimate weekend, which opened on Thursday night, Mr. Houston-Jones gave the floor to a new generation: Kyle Abraham was 5 during the 1982 "Parallels," Samantha Speis was 3 months old and Marjani A. Forté had not yet been born.

The New York Times - Arts

We have previously highlighted that a decrease in kneedrop distance and timing, as found in the present study when lvf was occluded at penultimate step contact, results in an increased foot angle relative to the floor, so that landing occurs more 'on the toes' [10].

Plosone

But he began his final floor performance a touch frenetically, and something bothered him in his penultimate pass – before he made his final tumble, he visibly shook his head as if to clear it.

The Guardian - Sport

In contrast, occlusion of the lvf from the instant of penultimate step contact up to the instant of ground contact with the lower floor level had a significant effect on several kinematic measures (see following sections).

Plosone

This suggests that as well as being uncertain about the horizontal location of the kerb-edge, participants also became uncertain regarding precise floor height when stepping down if lvf information was occluded during the penultimate step before the kerb-edge.

Plosone

The Kazakh also floored Murray in the 10th and the referee stopped it with 50 seconds left in the penultimate round.

BBC

PR: The penultimate question.

BBC

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Ensure that your audience understands the meaning of "penultimate". While it is a precise term, in some contexts it may be clearer to use "second to last floor".

Common error

Avoid using "penultimate floor" when you actually mean the ultimate or top floor. "Penultimate" specifically means 'second to last', not 'last' or 'highest'.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "penultimate floor" functions as a descriptive noun phrase, where 'penultimate' modifies the noun 'floor'. It indicates the specific location within a multi-story building. As confirmed by Ludwig AI, this phrase is correct.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Science

50%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "penultimate floor" is a grammatically correct and usable phrase in English, referring to the second-to-last floor of a building. As Ludwig AI confirms, the phrase is accurate. Though relatively rare in occurrence, its usage is appropriate in formal contexts, particularly within news and scientific domains. For less formal situations, alternatives such as ""second to last floor"" may be more suitable. Ensure clarity when using the term, as its meaning is specific and can be confused with "ultimate" or "top floor".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

second to last floor

Replaces "penultimate" with its direct synonym, keeping the meaning identical.

next to top floor

Describes the floor's position relative to the top floor.

one floor below the top

Clearly indicates the floor's location relative to the highest level.

antepenultimate floor

Uses a more precise term for the floor immediately before the "penultimate floor", implying a series.

floor before the highest

Specifies that the floor is directly beneath the highest level.

second highest floor

Highlights the floor's position from the top down.

the floor just under the top

Emphasizes the proximity to the top floor.

the floor preceding the last

Uses more formal language to describe the floor's position.

next-to-highest level

Uses level as synonym for floor, adding a formal tone

one level shy of the penthouse

Uses a more conversational tone referring to the highest floor being the penthouse.

FAQs

How do I use "penultimate floor" in a sentence?

You can use "penultimate floor" to indicate the second-to-last floor in a building, as in "The meeting will be held on the "penultimate floor" of the St. Regis apartment complex".

What's a simpler way to say "penultimate floor"?

Alternatives include "second to last floor" or "next to top floor", depending on the context and your audience.

Is "penultimate floor" formal or informal?

"Penultimate floor" is generally considered a more formal term. In casual conversation, "second to last floor" might be more appropriate.

What is the difference between "penultimate floor" and "top floor"?

"Penultimate floor" refers to the second-to-last floor, while "top floor" refers to the very last or highest floor in a building.