late

[late]

Late means after the expected time, or at the end of a certain period of time. if you're late for a movie, you get to the theater after the film's already started. If you're a late sleeper, you make a habit of dozing long after your alarm goes off.

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Coming after the time when due, or after the usual or proper time; not early; slow; tardy; long delayed; as, a late spring.

Adjective
being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time; "late evening"; "late 18th century"; "a late movie"; "took a late flight"; "had a late breakfast"

Adjective
at or toward an end or late period or stage of development; "the late phase of feudalism"; "a later symptom of the disease"; "later medical science could have saved the child"

Adjective
of a later stage in the development of a language or literature; used especially of dead languages; "Late Greek"

Adjective S.
after the expected or usual time; delayed; "a belated birthday card"; "I''m late for the plane"; "the train is late"; "tardy children are sent to the principal"; "always tardy in making dental appointments"

Adverb
later than usual or than expected; "the train arrived late"; "we awoke late"; "the children came late to school"; "notice came so tardily that we almost missed the deadline"; "I belatedly wished her a happy birthday"

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Adverb
in the recent past; "he was in Paris recently"; "lately the rules have been enforced"; "as late as yesterday she was fine"; "feeling better of late"; "the spelling was first affected, but latterly the meaning also"

Adverb
to an advanced time; "deep into the night"; "talked late into the evening"

Adverb
at an advanced age or stage; "she married late"; "undertook the project late in her career"

v.
Coming after the time when due, or after the usual or proper time; not early; slow; tardy; long delayed; as, a late spring.

v.
Far advanced toward the end or close; as, a late hour of the day; a late period of life.

v.
Existing or holding some position not long ago, but not now; lately deceased, departed, or gone out of office; as, the late bishop of London; the late administration.

v.
Not long past; happening not long ago; recent; as, the late rains; we have received late intelligence.

v.
Continuing or doing until an advanced hour of the night; as, late revels; a late watcher.

a.
After the usual or proper time, or the time appointed; after delay; as, he arrived late; -- opposed to early.

a.
Not long ago; lately.

a.
Far in the night, day, week, or other particular period; as, to lie abed late; to sit up late at night.

Late

Late , a. [Compar. Later , or latter ; superl. Latest .] [OE. lat slow, slack, As.l'91t; akin to Os. lat, D. laat late, G. lass weary, lazy, slack, Icel. latr, Sw. lat, Dan. lad, Goth. lats, and to E. let, v. See Let to permit, and cf. Alas, Lassitude.] 1. Coming after the time when due, or after the usual or proper time; not early; slow; tardy; long delayed; as, a late spring. 2. Far advanced toward the end or close; as, a late hour of the day; a late period of life. 3. Existing or holding some position not long ago, but not now; lately deceased, departed, or gone out of office; as, the late bishop of London; the late administration. 4. Not long past; happening not long ago; recent; as, the late rains; we have received late intelligence. 5. Continuing or doing until an advanced hour of the night; as, late revels; a late watcher.

Late

Late, adv. [AS. late. See Late, a.] 1. After the usual or proper time, or the time appointed; after delay; as, he arrived late; -- opposed to early. 2. Not long ago; lately. 3. Far in the night, day, week, or other particular period; as, to lie abed late; to sit up late at night. Of late, in time not long past, or near the present; lately; as, the practice is of late uncommon. -- Too late, after the proper or available time; when the time or opportunity is past.

Coming after the time when due, or after the usual or proper time; not early; slow; tardy; long delayed; as, a late spring.

After the usual or proper time, or the time appointed; after delay; as, he arrived late; -- opposed to early.

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Usage Examples

'Dallas' hit a chord back in the late Seventies and Eighties because it was the age of greed: here you have this unapologetic character who is mean and nasty and ruthless and does it all with an evil grin. I think people related to JR back then because we all have someone we know exactly like him. Everyone in the world knows a JR.

Brain power improves by brain use, just as our bodily strength grows with exercise. And there is no doubt that a large proportion of the female population, from school days to late middle age, now have very complicated lives indeed.

And then we watched an amazing number of movies from the late '60s and '70s, which is my favorite time, and we studied their camera movements, their stocks, the way they lit stuff, the colors they used.

Galleries began growing in both number and size in the late seventies, when artists who worked in lofts wanted to exhibit their work in spaces similar to the ones the art was made in.

I am invariably late for appointments - sometimes as much as two hours. I've tried to change my ways but the things that make me late are too strong, and too pleasing.

David Lynch and I almost made a movie together in the late '80s. We had lots of dinners and lunches. He's a very cool, hip guy. This film, let's face it, is like an homage to him, I would imagine he'd find it funny.

Courage, my friends 'tis not too late to build a better world.

But for me, I thought you made a record, you got on a bus, went out and played your shows and made a lot of money. That was the way it was supposed to go down. But there's a lot more to it than that. There are a lot of early mornings, late nights, a lot of traveling, a lot of being away from home, being away from your family.

Misspelled Form

late, klate, olate, plate, :late, kate, oate, pate, :ate, lkate, loate, lpate, l:ate, lqate, lwate, lsate, lzate, lqte, lwte, lste, lzte, laqte, lawte, laste, lazte, larte, la5te, la6te, layte, lagte, lare, la5e, la6e, laye, lage, latre, lat5e, lat6e, latye, latge, latwe, lat3e, lat4e, latre, latse, latde, latw, lat3, lat4, latr, lats, latd, latew, late3, late4, later, lates, lated.

Other Usage Examples

I call on the Iranian people: it is not too late to replace the corrupt regime and return to your glorious Persian heritage, a heritage of culture and values and not of bombs and missiles... How can a nation allow a regime to instill fear, take away the people's freedom and shock the young generation that seeks its way out of the dictatorial Iran.

Fiction was invented the day Jonas arrived home and told his wife that he was three days late because he had been swallowed by a whale.

He would use amphetamines to stay awake because he would have late night maneuvers that would go way into the early morning hours and he was given pills to stay up for the long hours.

Having contemplated this admirable grove, I proceeded towards the shrubberies on the banks of the river, and though it was now late in December, the aromatic groves appeared in full bloom.

I beg Osama to stop warring. He is a Muslim, and Islam means peace. Nobody wins in a war... I wish I were tapped in the problem about Iraq. I knew Saddam enough that I could have talked him into surrendering. But it's too late.

Biology, meaning the science of all life, is a late notion.

I bless God for this retirement: I never was more thankful for any thing than I have been of late for the necessity I am under of self-denial in many respects.

How did it get so late so soon? Its night before its afternoon. December is here before its June. My goodness how the time has flewn. How did it get so late so soon?

America is at that awkward stage it's too late to work within the system, but too early to shoot the bastards.