Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
📦 An inventory method 🗂️ A stack principle
last in first out

last in first out

4.6
A data structure like a stack where the newest item is removed first
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : último en entrar, primero en salir
  • A last in first out stack ensures the most recent item is processed before earlier ones.

Examples

  • When debugging, she noticed the program used a last in first out allocator for temporary memory.

  • Concurrency issues can arise if a last in first out buffer is accessed without proper locking.

  • The last in first out principle is crucial for stack data structures.

  • In computing, we often use last in first out for managing memory.

  • A last in first out stack ensures that the most recently added item is the first one to be removed.

  • When organizing data, understanding the last in first out method is essential for proper stack management.

  • In programming, many languages implement a last in first out strategy to handle function calls efficiently.

Synonyms

stack
vslast in first out
  • Specialized
15 6.8

A store of items where the last one added is removed first

is the abstract ordering principle behind that container
LIFO
vslast in first out
  • Specialized
1 8.0

A way where the last thing added is the first one taken, used in accounting and computing

is the computing principle, while this term also applies outside computing
push-down stack
vslast in first out
  • Specialized
6.0

A list where the last item added is the first removed

is the general rule for removing items in that same order
push-down list
vslast in first out
  • Specialized
7.5

A list where the last thing you put in comes out first

is the general rule rather than a specific sequence type
push-down queue
vslast in first out
  • Specialized
7.7

A pile where the last item put on is the first taken off

is the ordering principle describing that reversed removal

Antonyms

first in first out
  • Specialized
4.0

A way of keeping items so the oldest ones are used or sold first

Surface Forms

last in first out singular
last in first outs plural

Morphology

last + in + first + out

The phrase 'last in, first out' is fully compositional: the constituents directly describe an ordering rule where the item that enters last is the one that leaves first. This ordinal logic is transparent and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words can infer the intended meaning even without computing background.

Etymology

Last in first out comes from the simple image of a stack of plates: the plate you put on top last is the one you take off first. In other words, the last thing put in is the first thing taken out, so it means 'the most recently added item is removed first'.