late

American  

[leyt] / leɪt /

adjective

later, latest, last

1. occurring, coming, or being after the usual or proper time: a late spring.

   late frosts;

   a late spring.

   Synonyms:

   belated, delayed, dilatory, slow, tardy

2. continued until after the usual time or hour; protracted.

   a late business meeting.

3. near or at the end of day or well into the night.

   a late hour.

4. belonging to the time just before the present moment; most recent.

   a late news bulletin;

   The car is a late model, but I don't know the exact year.

5. immediately preceding the present one; former.

   the late attorney general.

6. recently deceased.

   the late Mr. Phipps.

7. occurring at an advanced stage in life.

   a late marriage.

8. belonging to an advanced period or stage in the history or development of something.

   the late phase of feudalism.

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adverb

later, latest

1. after the usual or proper time, or after delay.

   to arrive late.

2. until after the usual time or hour; until an advanced hour, especially of the night.

   to work late.

3. at or to an advanced time, period, or stage.

   The flowers keep their blossoms late in warm climates.

4. recently but no longer.

   a man late of Chicago, now living in Philadelphia.

idioms

1. of late, lately; recently.

   The days have been getting warmer of late.

late British  

/ leɪt /

adjective

1. occurring or arriving after the correct or expected time

   the train was late

2. (prenominal) occurring, scheduled for, or being at a relatively advanced time

   a late marriage

3. (prenominal) towards or near the end

   the late evening

4. at an advanced time in the evening or at night

   it was late

5. (prenominal) occurring or being just previous to the present time

   his late remarks on industry

6. (prenominal) having died, esp recently

   my late grandfather

7. (prenominal) just preceding the present or existing person or thing; former

   the late manager of this firm

8. recently; lately

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adverb

1. after the correct or expected time

   he arrived late

2. at a relatively advanced age

   she married late

3. recently; lately

   as late as yesterday he was selling books

4. rising and going to bed later than is usual

5. 1. at a late or advanced stage

   2. too late

late More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing late

• Johnny-come-lately
• at the latest
• better late than never
• keep late hours
• later
• of late
• the latest
• too little, too late

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Usage

Since late can mean deceased, many people think it is better to avoid using this word to refer to the person who held a post or position before its present holder: the previous (not the late ) editor of The Times

Related Words

See modern.

Other Word Forms

• lateness
  noun
• overlate
  adjective
• overlateness
  noun

Etymology

Origin of late

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English læt “slow, late”; cognate with German lass “slothful,” Old Norse latr, Gothic lats “slow, lazy,” Latin lassus “tired”

Explanation

Late means after the expected time, or at the end of a certain period of time. if you're late for a movie, you get to the theater after the film's already started. If you're a late sleeper, you make a habit of dozing long after your alarm goes off. When you're late, you're not on time. You might also be in your late twenties, which means you're at the end of that decade of your life — closer to 30 than to 20. If your friend calls and says, "Sorry I'm calling so late," she means late at night, at the very end of the day. And if you refer to someone as "the late Mr. Smith," it's a formal way of saying Mr. Smith is dead.

Example Sentences

Late Tuesday, Brent oil futures were around $110 a barrel, while WTI futures were just under $101 a barrel.

From Barron's • May 5, 2026

Late Tuesday, President Donald Trump said the effort would be paused to give more time to reach an agreement with Iran to end the conflict.

From MarketWatch • May 5, 2026

Late last month, eBay reported strong first-quarter results and said that its gross merchandise volume—or the total value of all paid transactions between users on its marketplace—climbed 18% versus the prior-year period.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 3, 2026

The shows are part of Kay's "Better Late Than Never" national tour which will see all profits donated to 12 leading cancer charities.

From BBC • May 2, 2026

Late at night on August 13, 1961, East German police and military units flooded the streets of Berlin's Eastern sector.

From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau

Related Words

• old
• once
• past
• previous
• sometime