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Definition of ulterior adjective from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

ulterior

adjective
 
/ʌlˈtɪəriə(r)/
 
/ʌlˈtɪriər/
[only before noun]
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  1. (of a reason for doing something) that somebody keeps hidden and does not admit
    • She must have some ulterior motive for being nice to me—what does she really want?
    Oxford Collocations DictionaryUlterior is used with these nouns:
    • motive
    See full entry
    More Like This Adjectives that only come before a nounAdjectives that only come before a noun
    Word Originmid 17th cent.: from Latin, literally ‘further, more distant’.
See ulterior in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary
trait
noun
 
 
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