later

American  

[lei-ter] / ˈlɛɪ tər /

adjective

1. a comparative of late.

   Her later years were not happy.

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adverb

1. a comparative of late.

   The meeting ran later than we expected.

2. 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.

later British  

/ ˈleɪtə /

adjective

1. the comparative of late

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adverb

1. afterwards; subsequently

2. an expression of farewell

3. eventually; inevitably

later Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing later

• late
• sooner or later

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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

Example Sentences

I did not want to disappoint, so two days later I joined the club for dinner at a local restaurant.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026

If Tyson Fury beats Arslan Makhmudov on Saturday, I wouldn't be surprised if he calls me out - and I'd 100% be up for that fight later in the year.

From BBC • Apr. 9, 2026

Some of those sites were later observed up close by the Artemis II crew.

From Barron's • Apr. 9, 2026

Hogan purchased the larger of the two homes that made up his Florida compound for $3.33 million in April 2012, before adding the smaller adjacent property for $1.6 million four years later.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 9, 2026

I spotted him two days later as I was eating lunch under a jacaranda tree.

From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu

Related Words

• afterward
• again
• next
• subsequently
• thereafter