What's the difference between last and latest?

Last is like "he got last place in the race" meaning being at the end of a sequence of something.
Lastest is like "here is the latest update" meaning the most recent.

Hope this clears it up ;)

Being last means its the end, final, that's it, no more. The latest means the most recent. So he came in last place means a WHOLE different thing than the latest update

last is the final/omega
latest is the most recent

last

[ last ]


1.most recent: occurring most recently
2.after all others: being or occurring after all the others
3.only remaining: the final or only person, thing, or part remaining


lat·est

[ láytəst ] See More


1.newest: newest, most recent, or most up-to-date
2.most up-to-date version: the newest, most recent, or most up-to-date news, fashion, or version of something

Essentially, they can be synonyms.