- comparative of late.
later
Americanadjective
adverb
-
a comparative of late.
The meeting ran later than we expected.
-
afterward, subsequently, or at a time in the future (sometimes followed byon ).
She later said she was sorry. I'll see you later. Let's decide about this later on.
adjective
adverb
-
afterwards; subsequently
-
an expression of farewell
-
eventually; inevitably
Etymology
Origin of later
First recorded before 900; lat(e) ( def. ) + -er 4 ( def. ) for the adjective; lat(e) ( def. ) + -er 5 ( def. ) for the adverb
Explanation
Later is a way to talk about time: some time after now. You can go to a movie later tonight. Later can also mean more recent, as in "Which is the later movie, Gone with the Wind or Citizen Kane?" It can mean toward the end: “He made that movie later in his career.” It can also mean after, as in "You were later than I thought you'd be!" It can also be used in comparison: "He was late; I was later." All these uses are about time, and how time keeps moving on from now to later.
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.
In one, she holds up a finger covered in red marker to look like blood, pretending to be a patient who asks how much stitches will cost, and is later shocked by the bill.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026
Then, two batters later, Freeman turned on an inside sinker and sent it over the right-field fence — where Dubón had no chance to track it down.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026
Brando was the finest actor she ever worked with, Saint later said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026
In a later letter to the US District Judge, Speitan said Pham was one of the "few people I regard with such high respect and esteem".
From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026
He would be coming to the party later, as indeed, it seemed, would all of Haarlem.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
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.
