Last, latest, final, terminal, concluding, eventual, ultimate are comparable when they mean following all the others in time or order or in importance.
What is last comes at the end of a series, especially of things of the same kind or class; the term usually implies that no more will follow or have followed, but it may imply only that the thing so qualified is or was the most recent or is the closest or nearest with respect to the present or a given time or period.
In this latter sense latest may be preferred as less ambiguous; thus, “his latest book” is clearer than “his last book” since the latter wording might suggest the author’s ensuing death.
What is final definitely closes a series or process not only because it is the last in order of individuals or details, but because it is decisive or conclusive.
What is terminal comes at the end of something and marks the limit of its extension, its growth, or its completion as a series or process.
What is concluding brings something (as a speech, a book, a program, a celebration) to an end or marks its finish.
What is eventual is bound to follow as the final effect of causes already in operation or of causes that will be operative if a given or understood contingency occurs.
What is ultimate (see also ULTIMATE 2 ) is the last, final, or terminal element in a series or process or is the final outcome or end to which a person or thing is moving or working or is the most remote in time, either past or future, or most important in a scale of values.