ISEE/SSAT Vocabulary BuilderWordsUulterior
ISEE/SSAThard
ulterior
Meaning: existing beyond what is stated, often as a concealed motive
ulterior in a sentence
How ulterior is used in real sentences:
Mara suspected that his sudden generosity served an ulterior purpose.
The reporter asked whether the official's visit had an ulterior political purpose.
“A few employees were privy to management's plan to transfer outspoken organizers, and this ulterior purpose, concealed beneath talk of efficiency, turned a wage dispute into a struggle over dignity.”
— from the passage The Authority No Chart Showed
Synonyms for ulterior
Other words for ulterior — hidden, covert and undisclosed — carry the same meaning.
- hidden
- covert
- undisclosed
Antonyms of ulterior
Words that mean the opposite of ulterior:
- overt
- explicit
- declared
Where it comes from
From Latin ulterior, meaning 'farther' or 'more distant.'
Memory hook
ULTERIOR sounds like 'all interior': the real purpose stays hidden inside.