late
Americanadjective
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occurring, coming, or being after the usual or proper time: a late spring.
late frosts;
a late spring.
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continued until after the usual time or hour; protracted.
a late business meeting.
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near or at the end of day or well into the night.
a late hour.
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belonging to the time just before the present moment; most recent.
a late news bulletin;
The car is a late model, but I don't know the exact year.
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immediately preceding the present one; former.
the late attorney general.
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recently deceased.
the late Mr. Phipps.
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occurring at an advanced stage in life.
a late marriage.
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belonging to an advanced period or stage in the history or development of something.
the late phase of feudalism.
adverb
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after the usual or proper time, or after delay.
to arrive late.
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until after the usual time or hour; until an advanced hour, especially of the night.
to work late.
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at or to an advanced time, period, or stage.
The flowers keep their blossoms late in warm climates.
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recently but no longer.
a man late of Chicago, now living in Philadelphia.
idioms
adjective
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occurring or arriving after the correct or expected time
the train was late
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(prenominal) occurring, scheduled for, or being at a relatively advanced time
a late marriage
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(prenominal) towards or near the end
the late evening
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at an advanced time in the evening or at night
it was late
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(prenominal) occurring or being just previous to the present time
his late remarks on industry
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(prenominal) having died, esp recently
my late grandfather
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(prenominal) just preceding the present or existing person or thing; former
the late manager of this firm
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recently; lately
adverb
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after the correct or expected time
he arrived late
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at a relatively advanced age
she married late
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recently; lately
as late as yesterday he was selling books
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rising and going to bed later than is usual
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at a late or advanced stage
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too late
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Usage
Since late can mean deceased, many people think it is better to avoid using this word to refer to the person who held a post or position before its present holder: the previous (not the late ) editor of The Times
Synonym Usage
See modern.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of late
First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English læt “slow, late”; cognate with German lass “slothful,” Old Norse latr, Gothic lats “slow, lazy,” Latin lassus “tired”
Explanation
Late means after the expected time, or at the end of a certain period of time. if you're late for a movie, you get to the theater after the film's already started. If you're a late sleeper, you make a habit of dozing long after your alarm goes off. When you're late, you're not on time. You might also be in your late twenties, which means you're at the end of that decade of your life — closer to 30 than to 20. If your friend calls and says, "Sorry I'm calling so late," she means late at night, at the very end of the day. And if you refer to someone as "the late Mr. Smith," it's a formal way of saying Mr. Smith is dead.
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.
For the generations who were just a few years too late to have experienced Beatlemania, this was their first chance to rep their team in real time.
From Salon • Jun. 23, 2026
Sebastien Mery, who farms wheat and rapeseed in the Gatinais region, south of Paris, harvests early in the morning and late at night to avoid the worst of the heat.
From Barron's • Jun. 23, 2026
Credit, too, Republican Senate Majority leader Bob Dole, who served on the commission, along with the late, great Senate Democrat Daniel Patrick Moynihan.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 23, 2026
In late February, driven by Fed rate cuts in prior months, the 30-year fixed mortgage rate drifted below 6% for the first time since 2022.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 23, 2026
‘Very bad. The killing earth that gulps and swallows. The Watchers everywhere. They see you, but you don’t see them. Not till it’s too late.’
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
