Meanings
- Afterward in time (used with than when comparing with another time).
I arrived later than my roommate.
1 more example
My roommate arrived first. I arrived later.
Synonyms: afterwards
- At some unspecified time in the future.
I wanted to do it now, but I’ll have to do it later.
Synonyms: later on
- Coming afterward in time (used with than when comparing with another time).
The Victorian era is a later period of English history than the Elizabethan era.
1 more example
The eldest son was usually given the name of his paternal grandfather, later children those of other relatives.
1945, E[lizabeth] G[idley] Withycombe, “Introduction”, in The Oxford Dictionary of English Christian Names, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page xiii - Coming afterward in distance (following an antecedent distance as embedded within an adverbial phrase)
I felt some leg pain during the first mile of my run and I strained my calf two miles later.
- At some time in the future.
The meeting was adjourned to a later date.
Synonyms & antonyms
adverbAfterward in time (used with than when comparing with another time).
adverbAt some unspecified time in the future.
adverbWhat if (something problematic or unanticipated happens); if not (something undesirable will happen).
antonym(s) of “At some unspecified time in the future”
More synonyms by meaning
adjectivecoming at a subsequent time or stage
adverbhappening at a time subsequent to a reference time
adverbat some eventual time in the future
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Old Englishlætra
- Middle Englishlater
- Old Englishlator
- Middle Englishlater
- Englishlater
* Adverb: From Middle English later, latere, from Old English lator, equivalent to late + -er. * Adjective: From Middle English later, latere, from Old English lætra, equivalent to late + -er. Cognate with Saterland Frisian leeter (“later”), West Frisian letter (“later”), Dutch later (“later”), German Low German later (“later”).
More words from Middle English, Old English
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek ὑστέρως, ὕστερος
- ὑστέρως (hustérōs)afterward in time
- ὕστερος (hústeros)coming afterward in time
Arabic فِيمَا بَعْد, بعدين
- فِيمَا بَعْد (fīmā baʕd)more late
- بعدين (baʕdēn)more late
- لَاحِقًا (lāḥiqan)afterward in time
- فِيمَا بَعْد (fī-mā baʕd)at some unspecified time in the future
- فِيمَا بَعْدُ (fī-mā baʕdu)at some unspecified time in the future
Bulgarian по́-къ́сно, по-късно
- по́-къ́сно (pó-kắsno)more late
- по-късно (po-kăsno)afterward in time
- по́сле (pósle)at some unspecified time in the future
- по́-ната́тък (pó-natátăk)at some unspecified time in the future
- по-късен (po-kăsen)more late
- по-късен (po-kăsen)coming afterward in time
- довиждане (doviždane)see you later
Catalan després, posteriorment
- desprésafterward in time
- posteriormentat some unspecified time in the future
- futurat some time in the future
- fins aviatsee you later
Chinese Cantonese 遲啲 /迟啲, 之後 /之后
- 遲啲 /迟啲 (ci⁴ di¹)more late
- 之後 /之后 (zi¹ hau⁶)afterward in time
- 遲過 /迟过 (ci⁴ gwo³)afterward in time
- 陣間 /阵间 (zan⁶ gaan¹)at some unspecified time in the future
Chinese Mandarin 更遲 /更迟, 以後 /以后
- 更遲 /更迟 (gèng chí)more late
- 以後 /以后 (yǐhòu)afterward in time
- 後面 /后面 (hòumian)afterward in time
Czech později, pozdější
- pozdějimore late
- pozdějšíafterward in time
Danish senere, senere
- seneremore late
- senereafterward in time
Dutch later, later
- latermore late
- laterafterward in time
- laterat some unspecified time in the future
- latersee you later
Esperanto pli malfrue, poste
- pli malfruemore late
- posteafterward in time
- postaat some time in the future
Estonian hiljem, hiljem
- hiljemmore late
- hiljemafterward in time
Finnish myöhemmin, myöhemmin
- myöhemminmore late
- myöhemminafterward in time
- myöhemminat some unspecified time in the future
- myöhempimore late
- myöhempicoming afterward in time
- myöhempiat some time in the future
- nähdäänsee you later
- katsellaan myöhemminsee you later
French plus en retard, plus tard
- plus en retardmore late
- plus tardafterward in time
- plus tardat some unspecified time in the future
- plus en retardmore late
- postérieurcoming afterward in time
- à plussee you later
German später, später
- spätermore late
- späterafterward in time
- nachherafterward in time
- bis baldsee you later
Greek αργότερα
- αργότερα (argótera)afterward in time
Hebrew יוֹתֵר מְאֻחָר, יוֹתֵר מְאֻחָר
- יוֹתֵר מְאֻחָר (yotér m'ukhár)more late
- יוֹתֵר מְאֻחָר (yotér m'ukhár)afterward in time
- יוֹתֵר מְאֻחָר (yotér m'ukhár)at some unspecified time in the future
Hindi बाद में
- बाद में (bād mẽ)more late
Hungarian majd, később
- majdat some unspecified time in the future
- későbbmore late
Icelandic heyrumst, sjáumst
- heyrumstsee you later
- sjáumstsee you later
Italian più in ritardo, più tardi
- più in ritardomore late
- più tardiafterward in time
- dopoafterward in time
- più tardiat some unspecified time in the future
- più in ritardomore late
- posteriorecoming afterward in time
Japanese 後に, 後で
- 後に (ato ni)more late
- 後で (ato de)afterward in time
Korean 후에, 후
- 후에 (hue)more late
- 후 (hu)more late
- 나중에 (najung'e)afterward in time
Latin sētius, sētius
- sētiusmore late
- sētiusafterward in time
Latvian vēlāk, vēlāk
- vēlākmore late
- vēlākafterward in time
Malay nanti, nanti
- nantimore late
- nantiat some unspecified time in the future
Māori auina iho
- auina ihoafterward in time
Norwegian senere
- seneremore late
Persian دیرتر, دیرتر
- دیرتر (dirtar)more late
- دیرتر (dirtar)afterward in time
- بعداً (ba'dan)at some unspecified time in the future
- بعدتر (ba'dtar)at some unspecified time in the future
Polish później, później
- późniejmore late
- późniejafterward in time
- późniejat some unspecified time in the future
- późniejszymore late
- późniejszycoming afterward in time
- późniejszyat some time in the future
- narasee you later
Portuguese mais atrasado, mais tarde
- mais atrasadomore late
- mais tardeafterward in time
- depoisafterward in time
- mais tardeat some unspecified time in the future
- mais tardemore late
- subsequentementecoming afterward in time
- posteriorcoming afterward in time
- mais atrasadoat some time in the future
- até maissee you later
- falousee you later
- até logosee you later
Romanian mai târziu, mai târziu
- mai târziumore late
- mai târziuafterward in time
- mai târziuat some unspecified time in the future
Russian по́зже, поздне́е
- по́зже (pózže)more late
- поздне́е (pozdnéje)more late
- по́зже (pózže)afterward in time
- по́сле (pósle)afterward in time
- пото́м (potóm)afterward in time
- по́зже (pózže)at some unspecified time in the future
- пото́м (potóm)at some unspecified time in the future
Spanish más tarde, más tarde
- más tardemore late
- más tardeafterward in time
- despuésafterward in time
- luegoafterward in time
- más tardemore late
- posteriorcoming afterward in time
- posteriorat some time in the future
- hasta luegosee you later
Swahili baadaye, baadaye
- baadayeafterward in time
- baadayeat some unspecified time in the future
Swedish senare, senare
- senaremore late
- senareafterward in time
- senareat some unspecified time in the future
- senaremore late
Tagalog mas nahuli, mamaya
- mas nahulimore late
- mamayaafterward in time
Turkish sonra
- sonraafterward in time
Ukrainian пізні́ше, пізні́ше
- пізні́ше (pizníše)more late
- пізні́ше (pizníše)afterward in time
Urdu بعد میں
- بعد میں (bād mẽ)more late
Vietnamese sau
- sauafterward in time
Welsh nes ymlaen, nes ymlaen
- nes ymlaenafterward in time
- nes ymlaenat some unspecified time in the future
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with later
Anagrams
Cite this entry
later. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/later
“later.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/later. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “later,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/later.
Source: later on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.