late

About 110.23 uses per million words.

Meaning

1. adjective Near the end of a period of time.

   The seedlings appeared to be coming along nicely until a late frost killed them.

2. adjective Specifically, near the end of the day.

   It was getting late and I was tired.

3. adjective Associated with the end of a period.

   Late Latin is less fully inflected than Classical Latin.

4. adjective Not arriving or occurring until after an expected time.

   The flowers were late in blooming because of the prolonged cold weather.

5. adjective Levied as a surcharge on a payment which has not arrived by a specified deadline.

   The power company suspended late fees during the pandemic.

6. adjective Not having had an expected menstrual period.

   I'm late, honey. Could you buy a test?

7. adjective Recently deceased, dead: used particularly when speaking of the dead person's actions while alive.

   Her late husband had left her well provided for.

8. adjective Existing or holding some position not long ago, but not now; departed, or gone out of office.

   the late bishop of London

Similar words

latish belated tardy tardily belatedly dead last deep unpunctual latter

Often followed by

in as to nineteenth for at

Word family

lateness latenesses later latest