What does "late" mean?
A shift (scheduled work period) that takes place late in the day or at night.
Late
/leɪt/ adj, adv, noun, slang
adj, adv, noun, slang ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A shift (scheduled work period) that takes place late in the day or at night.
- Grammar: late is listed as adj, adv, noun, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: belated, tardy, advanced, after time.
- Useful contrasts: early, mid, middle.
- Usage evidence: It seems to me that the train is late.
How to use "late"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "late" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "late" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "late" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "late" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "late" is acting as adj, adv, noun, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "belated" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "late", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A shift (scheduled work period) that takes place late in the day or at night. informal
"At about 11 pm one night in Corporation Street my watch were on van patrol and Yellow Watch were on late as usual."
- 2 Acronym of limbic-predominant age-related TDP-43 encephalopathy, a form of dementia. abbreviation, acronym, alt-of, uncountable
"We describe a recently recognized disease entity, limbic-predominant age-related TDP-43 encephalopathy (LATE). LATE neuropathological change (LATE-NC) is defined by a stereotypical TDP-43 proteinopathy in older adults, with or without coexisting hippocampal sclerosis pathology."
Adjective
- 1 Near the end of a period of time.
"The seedlings appeared to be coming along nicely until a late frost killed them."
- 2 Specifically, near the end of the day.
"It was getting late and I was tired."
- 3 Associated with the end of a period. not-comparable, usually
"Late Latin is less fully inflected than classical Latin."
- 4 Not arriving or occurring until after an expected time.
"The flowers were late in blooming because of the prolonged cold weather."
- 5 Levied as a surcharge on a payment which has not arrived by a specified deadline.
"The power company suspended late fees during the pandemic."
Show 5 more definitions
- 6 Not having had an expected menstrual period.
"I'm late, honey. Could you buy a test?"
- 7 Deceased, dead: used particularly when speaking of the dead person's actions while alive. (Generally must be preceded by a possessive or an article, commonly "the"; see usage notes. Can itself only precede the person's name, never follow it.) euphemistic, not-comparable
"Her late husband had left her well provided for."
- 8 Existing or holding some position not long ago, but not now; departed, or gone out of office.
"the late bishop of London"
- 9 Recent — relative to the noun it modifies.
"the late war"
- 10 Of a star or class of stars, cooler than the sun.
Adjective
- 1 having died recently wordnet
- 2 being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time wordnet
- 3 at or toward an end or late period or stage of development wordnet
- 4 of a later stage in the development of a language or literature; used especially of dead languages wordnet
- 5 (used especially of persons) of the immediate past wordnet
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 of the immediate past or just previous to the present time wordnet
- 7 after the expected or usual time; delayed wordnet
Adverb
- 1 After a deadline has passed, past a designated time.
"We drove as fast as we could, but we still arrived late."
- 2 Formerly, especially in the context of service in a military unit.
"Colonel Easterwood, late of the 34th Carbines, was a guest at the dinner party."
- 3 Not long ago; just now, recently.
"He ſhall doe this, or elſe I doe recant / The pardon that I late pronounced heere."
Adverb
- 1 later than usual or than expected wordnet
- 2 in the recent past wordnet
- 3 to an advanced time wordnet
- 4 at an advanced age or stage wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"It seems to me that the train is late."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "late"?
Common synonyms include: belated, tardy, advanced, after time, ahead of time, anachronistic.
How do you use "late" in a sentence?
It seems to me that the train is late.
How do you pronounce "late"?
Pronounced /leɪt/.
Etymology
From Middle English late, lat, from Old English læt (“slow; slack, lax, negligent; late”), from Proto-West Germanic *lat, from Proto-Germanic *lataz (“slow, lazy”). By surface analysis, deverbal from let. Cognates Cognate with Yola laate (“late”), North Frisian leed, leet, lääs (“late”), Saterland Frisian leet (“late”), Dutch, German Low German laat (“late, tardy”), Danish lad (“languid, lazy, indolent”), Faroese, Icelandic latur (“lazy”), Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk and Swedish lat (“lazy”), Gothic 𐌻𐌰𐍄𐍃 (lats, “lazy, slothful”).