late
Americanadjective
-
later,
comparative
-
last,
superlative
-
latest
superlative
-
occurring, coming, or being after the usual or proper time: a late spring.
late frosts;
a late spring.
-
continued until after the usual time or hour; protracted.
a late business meeting.
-
near or at the end of day or well into the night.
a late hour.
-
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.
-
immediately preceding the present one; former.
the late attorney general.
-
recently deceased.
the late Mr. Phipps.
-
occurring at an advanced stage in life.
a late marriage.
-
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.
-
until after the usual time or hour; until an advanced hour, especially of the night.
to work late.
-
at or to an advanced time, period, or stage.
The flowers keep their blossoms late in warm climates.
-
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
-
(prenominal) occurring, scheduled for, or being at a relatively advanced time
a late marriage
-
(prenominal) towards or near the end
the late evening
-
at an advanced time in the evening or at night
it was late
-
(prenominal) occurring or being just previous to the present time
his late remarks on industry
-
(prenominal) having died, esp recently
my late grandfather
-
(prenominal) just preceding the present or existing person or thing; former
the late manager of this firm
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recently; lately
adverb
-
after the correct or expected time
he arrived late
-
at a relatively advanced age
she married late
-
recently; lately
as late as yesterday he was selling books
-
rising and going to bed later than is usual
-
-
at a late or advanced stage
-
too late
-
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
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
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.
See Examples For:
CarMax’s main competitor, Carvana, spooked investors in late July when it issued full-year guidance implying a less profitable second half of 2026 than analysts expected.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 21, 2026
He came off the bench late on in a 3-0 win.
From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026
You might wonder if late September is too early to be focusing on tax-loss selling, on the theory that it would be concentrated in December.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 21, 2026
The band was among those that helped define the second-wave pop-punk sound of the late 1990s and early 2000s that broke into the mainstream.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 21, 2026
Luckily, he’d realized the error before it was too late.
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
It's a stark reminder that Diana was only just 20 years old when she married - becoming a global superstar - and was dead 16 years later.
From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026
A divided appeals court panel later paused that ruling for the Oval Office, Air Force One and other restricted spaces, allowing the White House to keep the AP out of them while the case proceeds.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 21, 2026
The drug, approved to treat various forms of cancer, is due to lose patent protection in the EU in 2029 and in the U.S. a year later.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 21, 2026
At the time, they said the late-stage trial met its primary endpoint and the full data from the study would be released at a later date.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 21, 2026
In his later years, Dr. John Martyn Harlow became an important man in Woburn, a state senator, an advisor to the governor, and a bank president.
From "Phineas Gage" by John Fleischman
“It is a complex set of problems that requires a serious dialogue between the U.S. and Iran, between Iran and the countries of the Gulf, including the mediators,” he told reporters last week.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026
Ambery argues that it's easier to be generous with a legacy if you know your retirement income will last as long as you need it.
From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026
Regulatory changes last decade, when China made biotech a national priority, have made the country a hub for early-stage oncology and immunology research in particular.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 21, 2026
I’m referring to buying stocks that are beaten down by tax-loss selling in the last quarter of the year, which far more often than not rebound in January after that selling has abated.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 21, 2026
“That’s right, son. Hundreds of people were in our last camp. But not everyone drowned. And not every wagon failed. Most animals made it.”
From "Will’s Race for Home" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
Find insight on gold futures, Artemis Gold, NexGen Energy and more in the latest Market Talks covering Basic Materials .
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026
Find insight on Meta’s AI assistant, the AI trade, software investments and more in the latest Market Talks covering Technology, Media and Telecom.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 21, 2026
A Nats spokesperson, apologising for the latest issue, said technology "can and sometimes does fail. Our job is minimising disruption where possible."
From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026
Two large e-commerce platforms are taking different approaches to the latest artificial-intelligence phenomenon.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 21, 2026
When I was a child, in summer Mother would travel to Paris and Milan to see what the latest fashions were, while Father stayed at work and I went to Babci’s.
From "Not Nothing" by Gayle Forman
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.
