belatedly

American  

[bih-lay-tid-lee] / bɪˈleɪ tɪd li /

adverb

1. after the customary, useful, or expected time.

   If a law shouldn't have been passed in the first place, it's no crime to belatedly reverse it.

   I received your letter last month, and I wanted to thank you, even if belatedly.

---

Etymology

Origin of belatedly

belated ( def. ) + -ly

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

belatedly

Investigators released details last week that indicated the two pilots belatedly decided to redo their landing before deciding to brake and stop the plane.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026

Their decision to belatedly act on an initial approach made by an agent around Ait-Nouri was an admission they are not totally certain of the path they have chosen.

From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026

Bernie Moreno, albeit belatedly, reacted to Miller’s behavior by defending his daughter, telling reporters he sent her, his granddaughter and his wife to a “secure place” out of state for their own safety.

From Salon ● Aug. 7, 2026

Italian luxury carmaker Ferrari has unveiled its first fully electric model, the Luce, belatedly joining rivals like Porsche and Lamborghini to offer clean-energy driving thrills.

From Barron's ● May 26, 2026

Besides, it is dawning on me belatedly that Minneapolis is far vaster than Key West or Pordand, Maine, and that my two live job possibilities—Wal-Mart and Menards—are separated by about thirty miles.

From "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America" by Barbara Ehrenreich

Related Words

• slowly