later

American  

[lei-ter] / ˈlɛɪ tər /

adjective

1. a comparative of late.

   Her later years were not happy.

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adverb

1. a comparative of late.

   The meeting ran later than we expected.

2. afterward, subsequently, or at a time in the future (sometimes followed byon ).

   She later said she was sorry. I'll see you later. Let's decide about this later on.

later British  

/ ˈleɪtə /

adjective

1. the comparative of late

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adverb

1. afterwards; subsequently

2. an expression of farewell

3. eventually; inevitably

later Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing later

• late
• sooner or later

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Etymology

Origin of later

First recorded before 900; lat(e) ( def. ) + -er ⁴ ( def. ) for the adjective; lat(e) ( def. ) + -er ⁵ ( def. ) for the adverb

Explanation

Later is a way to talk about time: some time after now. You can go to a movie later tonight. Later can also mean more recent, as in "Which is the later movie, Gone with the Wind or Citizen Kane?" It can mean toward the end: “He made that movie later in his career.” It can also mean after, as in "You were later than I thought you'd be!" It can also be used in comparison: "He was late; I was later." All these uses are about time, and how time keeps moving on from now to later.

Example Sentences

Later, when she saw images of the damage, she says she could "only describe it as looking like roadkill".

From BBC • Jun. 16, 2026

Later, that biological element was sort of reconfigured into something known as “disruptive technologies.”

From Salon • Jun. 15, 2026

Later, Andersen disclosed that he had tried to play through a knee injury he sustained in Game 2.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 15, 2026

Later he settled his family in Barranquilla, where he expanded his practice.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 14, 2026

Later that day I get a postcard from Wainscotting.

From "Invisible Inkling" by Emily Jenkins

Related Words

• afterward
• again
• next
• subsequently
• thereafter