belatedly

American  

[bih-ley-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.

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Etymology

Origin of belatedly

belated ( def. ) + -ly

Example Sentences

"No one should be fooled into thinking that this fraud appeal belatedly succeeding suggests the Hong Kong system operates fairly or justly," she told the BBC.

From BBC

Australia's Test run machine eventually earned a place in the squad proper when the selectors belatedly named a replacement for Josh Hazlewood, who was ruled out of the competition before a ball was bowled.

From BBC

"You have shown no remorse. You do not deserve credit for belatedly contacting the police in May 2025 – you only did this to put forward a false account of Izabela's death."

From BBC

The idea of history being celebrated and preserved courses through “Once Upon a Time in Harlem,” a conversational documentary belatedly assembled from a 1972 gathering of Harlem Renaissance giants at Duke Ellington’s apartment.

From Los Angeles Times

The best international artist category belatedly reflects the rise of Latin music, with Puerto Rican star Bad Bunny and Spanish iconoclast Rosalía receiving the genre's first ever Brit nominations.

From BBC

Related Words

• slowly