Meanings
nounlateness (usually uncountable, plural latenesses)
plural latenesses
- uncountableusuallyThe state of being late.
His chronic lateness will cost him a promotion if not his job.
1 more example
A 40 m.p.h. slack at West Ruislip, quickly followed by a 30 m.p.h. slack at Gerrards Cross, increased our lateness to four minutes at High Wycombe.
1960 February, R. C. Riley, “The London-Birmingham services - Past, Present and Future”, in Trains Illustrated, page 103Synonyms: belatedness, tardiness, behindhandness, tardity
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe state of being late.
Opposite
More synonyms by meaning
Also see
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Translations
Bulgarian закъснялост
- закъснялост (zakăsnjalost)The property of being late
Czech zpoždění, opoždění
- zpožděníThe property of being late
- opožděníThe property of being late
German Verspätung
- VerspätungThe property of being late
Icelandic seinleiki
- seinleikiThe property of being late
Irish déanaí
- déanaíThe property of being late
Japanese 遅刻
- 遅刻 (chikoku)The property of being late
Lithuanian vėlavimas, vėlavimasis
- vėlavimasThe property of being late
- vėlavimasisThe property of being late
Māori tūreititanga
- tūreititangaThe property of being late
Romanian întârziere, zăbavă
- întârziereThe property of being late
- zăbavăThe property of being late
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with lateness
All rhymes →Anagrams
Cite this entry
APA
lateness. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lateness
MLA
“lateness.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lateness. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “lateness,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lateness.
Source: lateness on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.