late

comparative later · superlative latest

1. Near the end of a period of time.

   The meeting is convened for late morning.

   2 more examples

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

   In Southern U.S., "evening" is used for middle to late afternoon.

2. Specifically, near the end of the day.

   It was getting late and I was tired.

3. not comparableusuallyAssociated with the end of a period.

   Late Latin is less fully inflected than Classical Latin.

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

   The heavy snow made all the trains late.

   2 more examples

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

   Panos was so late that he arrived at the meeting after Antonio, who had the excuse of being in hospital for most of the night.

   Synonyms: tardy

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.

6. Not having had an expected menstrual period.

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

   1 more example

   I am very worried. I am never late.

   1992 February 5, Larry Charles, Elaine Pope, “The Fix-Up”, in Seinfeld, spoken by Cynthia (Maggie Wheeler)

7. euphemisticnot comparableRecently 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.)

   Her late husband had left her well provided for.

   5 more examples

   Mary was entitled to the crown by her late father’s testament.

   To Edward […] he was terrible, nerve-inflaming, poisonously asphyxiating. He sat rocking himself in the late Mr. Churchill's swing chair, smoking and twaddling.

   1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter XXIII, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC, page 181

   This parrot is no more! It has ceased to be! It's expired and gone to meet its maker! This is a late parrot! It's a stiff! Bereft of life, it rests in peace! If you hadn't nailed it to the perch it would be pushing up the daisies!

   1969 December 7, Monty Python, “Full Frontal Nudity, Dead Parrot sketch”, in Monty Python's Flying Circus, spoken by Mr Praline (John Cleese)

   Mark’s late wife, Gemma, was an educator as well. Russian literature.

   2022 February 18, Dan Erickson, “Good News About Hell”, in Severance, season 1, episode 1, spoken by Ricken (Michael Chernus)

   “He is not my ‘late husband’. He is my husband,” she said, before discussing how the couple had managed to retain their independent identities while together.

   2022 December 14, Nadia Khomami, quoting Iman, “‘He’s not my “late” husband’: Iman speaks of grief over death of David Bowie”, in The Guardian

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

   the late administration

   3 more examples

   the late bishop of London

   By Edvvard Reynoldes, late Preacher to the Honorable Society of Lincoln’s Inne: And now Rector of the Church of Braunſton in Northamptonſhire.

   1640, Edvvard Reynoldes, A Treatise of the Passions and Facvlties of the Soul of Man. With the severall Dignities and Corruptions thereunto belonging., London: […] R. H. for Robert Bostock, […]

   It was a lonely place enough, even in all its rustic beauty, for so bright a creature as the late Miss Lucy Graham, but the generous baronet had transformed the interior of the gray old mansion into a little palace for his young wife, and Lady Audley seemed as happy as a child surrounded by new and costly toys.

   1862, Mary Elizabeth Braddon, Lady Audley's Secret

9. Recent — relative to the noun it modifies.

   the late war

   2 more examples

   OLd Iohn of Gaunt, time-honoured Lancaſter, Haſt thou according to thy oath and band Brought hither Henry Herford thy bold ſon: Heere to make good yͤ boiſtrous late appeale, Which then our leyſure would not let vs heare, Againſt the Duke of Norfolke, Thomas Mowbray?

   1595 December 9 (first known performance), William Shakespeare, “The Life and Death of King Richard the Second”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i], page 23, column 1

   Lancaster bore him—such a little town, / Such a great man. It doesn't see him often / Of late years, though he keeps the old homestead / And sends the children down there with their mother[…]

   1914, Robert Frost, “A Hundred Collars”, in North of Boston

10. astronomyOf a star or class of stars, cooler than the sun.

plural lates

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

   At about 11 pm one night in Corporation Street my watch were on van patrol and Yellow Watch were on late as usual.

   2007, Paul W Browning, The Good Guys Wear Blue

comparative later · superlative latest

1. After a deadline has passed, past a designated time.

   We drove as fast as we could, but we still arrived late.

   Synonyms: belatedly

2. Formerly, especially in the context of service in a military unit.

   Linda Smith, late of 13 Oxford Street.

   2 more examples

   Colonel Easterwood, late of the 34th Carbines, was a guest at the dinner party.

   The Hendersons will all be there / Late of Pablo Fanque's Fair / What a scene!

   Synonyms: erenow

3. Not long ago; just now, recently.

   He ſhall doe this, or elſe I doe recant / The pardon that I late pronounced heere.

   c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene i], page 181, column 1

   1 more example

   Tears of the widower, when he sees ⁠A late-lost form that sleep reveals, ⁠And moves his doubtful arms, and feels Her place is empty, fall like these; […]

   1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], “Canto XIII”, in In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, page 20

   Synonyms: freshly

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

   The clinical entity LATE (limbic-predominant age-related TDP-43 encephalopathy) has recently emerged.

   2020 March, Daniel Ferreira, Agneta Nordberg, Eric Westman, “Biological subtypes of Alzheimer disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis”, in Neurology, volume 94, number 10, →DOI

   2 more examples

   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.

   2019 June, Peter T Nelson et al., “Limbic-predominant age-related TDP-43 encephalopathy (LATE): consensus working group report”, in Brain, volume 142, number 6, →DOI, page 1503

   The framework of LATE would account for the pathogenetic impact of limbic TDP-43 proteinopathy as a driver of amnestic dementia, either together with comorbid typical AD changes or as a distinct feature.

   2020 May 14, Doreen Görß, Ingo Kilimann, Martin Dyrba, Sascha Nitsch, Bernd Krause, Stefan Teipel, “LATE: not every dementia is Alzheimer's disease”, in Der Nervenarzt, →DOI