Better late than never

Cultural  

1. It is better to do something after it was supposed to have been done than not to do it at all.

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better late than never Idioms  

1. Being tardy is better than not at all, as in We've been waiting for you for an hour—but better late than never. This phrase, first recorded about 1200, appears in several early English proverb collections, often with the added but better never late. Today it is often used in exasperation over a delay, as in the example.

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Example Sentences

We are arriving late at this realization, but better late than never.

From Barron's • Feb. 2, 2026

She says: "It is better late than never, especially now that we are marking 80 years since the end of World War Two and very few are left of those who took part."

From BBC • Sep. 29, 2025

It’s better late than never, but it’s well and truly time to cut X loose.

From Slate • Nov. 7, 2024

The new bidding process is better late than never.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 10, 2023

“I should have done this a month ago. The canes bleed if they’re pruned this late, but better late than never, as they say.”

From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt