Home / Dictionary / Late

Late Very Common

Late has 15 different meanings across 2 categories:

Adjective · Adverb

Definitions
Noun
1

A shift (scheduled work period) that takes place late in the day or at night.

"The doctor explained that his father's symptoms were caused by LATE, which stands for the specific type of dementia affecting older adults with this brain pathology."

2

Acronym of limbic-predominant age-related TDP-43 encephalopathy, a form of dementia.

In plain English: Late is an old-fashioned word for a person who has died.

"She was the late singer from the band who performed at the concert last night."

Usage: Avoid using "late" as a noun to refer to this specific medical condition in everyday conversation. The term is a technical acronym for a rare type of dementia and should only be used within professional or clinical contexts.

Adjective
1

being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time

"late evening"

"late 18th century"

"a late movie"

"took a late flight"

"had a late breakfast"

2

after the expected or usual time; delayed

"a belated birthday card"

"I'm late for the plane"

"the train is late"

"tardy children are sent to the principal"

"always tardy in making dental appointments"

3

of the immediate past or just previous to the present time

"a late development"

"their late quarrel"

"his recent trip to Africa"

"in recent months"

"a recent issue of the journal"

4

having died recently

"her late husband"

5

of a later stage in the development of a language or literature; used especially of dead languages

"Late Greek"

6

at or toward an end or late period or stage of development

"the late phase of feudalism"

"a later symptom of the disease"

"later medical science could have saved the child"

7

(used especially of persons) of the immediate past

"the former president"

"our late President is still very active"

"the previous occupant of the White House"

8

Near the end of a period of time.

"We had to leave late because we didn't want to miss the movie ending."

In plain English: Late means happening after the expected time or being behind schedule.

"The bus was late, so we had to wait an extra twenty minutes."

Usage: Use "late" to describe something happening near the end of a specific time period, such as a late bus arriving after its scheduled departure. Do not use it to mean "dead," which requires the phrase "is late" or the noun "the dead."

Adverb
1

later than usual or than expected

"the train arrived late"

"we awoke late"

"the children came late to school"

"notice came so tardily that we almost missed the deadline"

"I belatedly wished her a happy birthday"

2

to an advanced time

"deep into the night"

"talked late into the evening"

3

at an advanced age or stage

"she married late"

"undertook the project late in her career"

4

in the recent past

"he was in Paris recently"

"lately the rules have been enforced"

"as late as yesterday she was fine"

"feeling better of late"

"the spelling was first affected, but latterly the meaning also"

5

After a deadline has passed, past a designated time.

"The report was submitted late after we missed the Friday afternoon deadline."

In plain English: Late means happening after the expected or scheduled time.

"The train arrived late, so we missed our connection."

Usage: Use "late" as an adverb to describe an action that occurs after the expected or scheduled time, such as arriving late for a meeting. It functions without a preceding preposition when directly modifying a verb.

Example Sentences
"The bus was late, so we had to wait an extra twenty minutes." adj
"The train arrived late, so we missed our connection." adv
"She was the late singer from the band who performed at the concert last night." noun
Related Terms
Antonyms

Origin

The word "late" comes from the Old English word for slow or negligent and traveled into Middle English with that same meaning of being delayed in time. Although it is formed by adding a suffix to the verb "let," its history traces back through Proto-Germanic roots describing slowness rather than permission.

Rhyming Words
Compare
Late vs