Synonyms

belatedly

American

[bih-ley-tid-lee] / bɪˈleɪ tɪd li /

adverb

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

Vocabulary lists containing belatedly

"A Soldier for the Crown," Vocabulary from the short story

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The complaint alleges that Gonzalez made several pro-Becerra posts after joining the campaign and belatedly amended them to include disclosure that they were sponsored.

From Los Angeles Times • May 21, 2026

He later visited the garage to settle up, telling Judith he was "desperate" and had borrowed money to belatedly pay her.

From BBC • May 16, 2026

Many continue to take her advice, as she is now belatedly admitting.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026

Gauff belatedly found her groove, sending down an ace to seal the first set in style.

From Barron's • Jan. 19, 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

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023