later

[lei-ter]

adjective

1. a comparative of late.

   Her later years were not happy.

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

/ ˈleɪtə /

adjective

1. the comparative of late

adverb

1. afterwards; subsequently

2. an expression of farewell

3. eventually; inevitably

Word History and Origins

Origin of later¹

First recorded before 900; lat(e) ( def. ) + -er ⁴ ( def. ) for the adjective; lat(e) ( def. ) + -er ⁵ ( def. ) for the adverb

Idioms and Phrases

• late
• sooner or later

Example Sentences

Lancashire Police later found him on a bus where he admitted he had a knife and had wanted to stab people.

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She hosts monthly lectures at her retirement home and plans to take her neighbors to the American Cancer Society Discovery Shop in Encino later this month.

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A few minutes later, LeBron James eased onto the court, his baseball cap turned backward, the fans cheering him as he took a seat at the end of the bench.

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A spokesperson for the Marines later said the firing was part of a dress rehearsal.

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The sculpture, valued at more than €50 million, was found three years later, almost intact, in a crate buried in a forest northwest of Vienna.

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Related Words

• afterward 
• again 
• next 
• subsequently 
• thereafter