Words one can get confused

[Bullitt]

Penultimate — second to last.

We had a thread about this, a couple of years ago.

ETA here it is, it was a question I had 3 years ago —

Is this use of 'penultimate' correct?

I am an engineer, not a writer, and yet I find myself responsible for writing an SOP. I am not enjoying this. How can I succinctly state that something is important but it’s not the most important thing, that there is something else of higher importance? Here is my draft so far: “These products are to be first and foremost, safe, accurate, and effective. It is of penultimate importance that they be developed as quickly as reasonably practicable.” So, speed is of secondary importance. But spee…