Late

Definition: Late

Late

Adjective

1. 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".

2. 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".

3. Of the immediate past or just previous to the present time; "a late development"; "their late quarrel"; "his recent trip to Africa"; "in recent months"; "a recent issue of the journal".

4. Having died recently; "her late husband".

5. (linguistics) of a later stage in the development of a language or literature; used especially of dead languages; "Late Greek".

6. 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".

7. (used especially of persons) of to the immediate past; "the former president"; "our late President is still very active"; "the previous occupant of the White House".

Adverb

1. 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".

2. To an advanced time; "deep into the night"; "talked late into the evening".

3. At an advanced age or stage; "she married late"; "undertook the project late in her career".

4. 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".

Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
 

Date "late" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1010. (references)

Military & Defense

Slang

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Synonyms: Late

Death

Adjective: dead, lifeless; deceased, demised, departed, defunct, extinct; late, gone, no more; exanimate, inanimate; out of the world, taken off, released; departed this life. Verb: dead and gone; dead as a doornail, dead as a doorpost, dead as a mutton, dead as a herring, dead as nits; launched into eternity, gone to one's eternal reward, gone to meet one's maker, pushing up daisies, gathered to one's fathers, numbered with the dead.

Diuturnity

Tarry; (be late); drag on, drag its slow length along, drag a lengthening chain; protract, prolong; spin out, eke out, draw out, lengthen out; temporize; gain time, make time, talk against time.

Inutility

Seek after impossibilities, strive after impossibilities; use vain efforts, labor in vain, roll the stone of Sisyphus, beat the air, lash the waves, battre l'eau avec un baton, donner un coup d'epee dans l'eau, fish in the air, milk the ram, drop a bucket into an empty well, sow the sand; bay the moon; preach to the winds, speak to the winds; whistle jigs to a milestone; kick against the pricks, se battre contre des moulins; lock the stable door when the steed is stolen, lock the barn door after the horse is stolen; (too late);seek after impossibilities, strive after impossibilities; use vain efforts, labor in vain, roll the stone of Sisyphus, beat the air, lash the waves, battre l'eau avec un baton, donner un coup d'epee dans l'eau, fish in the air, milk the ram, drop a bucket into an empty well, sow the sand; bay the moon; preach to the winds, speak to the winds; whistle jigs to a milestone; kick against the pricks, se battre contre des moulins; lock the stable door when the steed is stolen, lock the barn door after the horse is stolen; (too late); hold a farthing candle to the sun; cast pearls before swine; (waste); carry coals to Newcastle; (redundancy); wash a blackamoor white; (impossible).

Lateness

Verb: be late; Adjective: tarry, wait, stay, bide, take time; dawdle; (be inactive); linger, loiter; bide one's time, take one's time; gain time; hang fire; stand over, lie over.

Adverb: late; lateward, backward; late in the day; at sunset, at the eleventh hour, at length, at last; ultimately; after time, behind time, after the deadline; too late; too late for.

Adjective: late, tardy, slow, behindhand, serotine, belated, postliminious, posthumous, backward, unpunctual, untimely; delayed, postponed; dilatory; (slow); delayed; Verb: in abeyance.

Newness

Late, modern, neoteric, hypermodern, nouveau; new-born, nascent, neonatal, new-fashioned, new-fangled, new-fledged; of yesterday; just out, brand-new, up to date, up to the minute, with it, fashionable, in fashion; in, hip; vernal, renovated, sempervirent, sempervirid.

Adverb: newly; Adjective: afresh, anew, lately, just now, only yesterday, the other day; latterly, of late.

Slowness

Verb: move slowly; adVerb: creep, crawl, lag, slug, drawl, linger, loiter, saunter; plod, trudge, stump along, lumber; trail, drag; dawdle; (be inactive); grovel, worm one's way, steal along; job on, rub on, bundle on; toddle, waddle, wabble, slug, traipse, slouch, shuffle, halt, hobble, limp, caludicate, shamble; flag, falter, trotter, stagger; mince, step short; march in slow time, march in funeral procession; take one's time; hang fire; (be late).

The Past

Former, pristine, quondam, ci-devant, late; ancestral.

Unskillfulness

Begin at the wrong end; do things by halves; (not complete); make two bites of a cherry; play at cross purposes; strain at a gnat and swallow a camel; (caprice); put the cart before the horse; lock the stable door when the horse is stolen; (too late).

Untimeliness

Unpunctual; (late); too late for; premature; (early); too soon for; wise after the event, monday morning quarterbacking, twenty-twenty hindsight.

Crosswords: Late

Latin (bear, bring, broad, broadly, carry off, consider, escape notice, extensive, extensively, far and wide, get, lie hidden, live a retired life, lurk, produce, receive, spacious, tell speak of, wide, widely, win), Pidgin English (late).

But you know what? It's never too late to get it back (American Beauty; writing credit: Alan Ball)

I am glad you are late. This chicken took longer than I expected Hope it isn't done too much Of course, it caught on fire once I think it is better that I cut it out here, unless you want half of one for yourself (Notorious; writing credit: Ben Hecht)

Women. Nothing surprises me Chip, except your late mother (Batman Returns; writing credit: Bob Kane; Daniel Waters)

Dinner's gonna be late. (The Addams Family; writing credit: Caroline Thompson)

Sorry I'm late. I was taking a crap (The Sting; writing credit: David S. Ward)

But I'm gaining pounds at the precipice of Too Late (Too Little Too Late; performing artist: Barenaked Ladies)

And it's much too late for goodbyes (Too Late For Goodbyes; performing artist: Julian Lennon)

Well it's late in the evening, and the music's seeping through (Late In The Evening; performing artist: Paul Simon)

And I can see ya coming home after work late (Dear Mama; performing artist: 2Pac)

When she woke up late in the morning light (All That She Wants; performing artist: Ace Of Base)

Church is the only place I know where I can arrive late and get the best seats in the house! (references; author: unknown)

What you do when you don't have to do it will determine what you are when it's too late to do anything about it! (references; author: unknown)

Tomorrow Is Too Late (1974)

The CBS Late Movie (1972)

Too Late the Hero (1970)

Never Too Late (1965)

The Late Late Show (1962)

Too Much, Too Little, Too Late (performing artist: Johnny Mathis and Deniece Williams)

Too Late, Too Soon (performing artist: Jon Secada)

Too Late For Goodbyes (performing artist: Julian Lennon)

Late In The Evening (performing artist: Paul Simon)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Books

• The Descendants of Thomas Pier: A Record of the Descendants of Thomas Pier, a Late 17th Century Inhabitant of Lyme, Connecticut (reference)

• Late Innings: A Documentary History of Baseball 1945-1972 (reference)

• The Ku Klux Conspiracy: Report of the Joint Select Committee to Inquire into the Condition of Affairs in the Late Insurrectionary States (reference)

• Toward the Inquisition: Essays on Jewish and Converso History in Late Medieval Spain (reference)

• Ships and Men in the Late Viking Age: The Vocabulary of Runic Inscriptions and Skaldic Verse (reference)

  (more book examples)

Periodicals

• Late Model Digest (reference)

  (more periodical examples)

Theater & Movies

• Barenaked Ladies - Too Little Too Late (DVD Single) (reference)

• The Late Great Planet Earth (reference)

• Too Late the Hero (reference)

• Johnny Carson - His Favorite Moments from The Tonight Show - '80s & '90s, The King of Late Night (reference)

• Late Spring (reference)

  (more DVD examples; more video examples)

Music

• Giuliano Carmignola ~ Vivaldi - The Late Violin Concertos (Premiere Recording) (reference)

• Late Violin Concertos (Sl) (Multichannel/Stereo) [SACD] (reference)

• It's Too Late / Today (reference)

• The Late Night Plays [EXPLICIT LYRICS] (reference)

• Ultimate Late Night Rave (reference)

  (more classical music examples; more popular music examples)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

1) A temporary administration building for M.D. Anderson was set up in 1940 in this converted residence known as "the oaks" on the former Baker Estate near downtown Houston. 2) biochemistry and biology laboratories were set up in late 1942 by five scientists using this one-time stable and carriage house on the old Baker Estate. The first patients were seen in other converted residential quarters starting in March, 1944. 3) the permanent home for University of Texas M.D. Anderson hospital began taking shape in the early 1950s in the newly designated Texas Medical Center, which only a few years earlier had been "way out in the woods". 4) M.D. Anderson's first seven-story structure was opened for patient care on March 19, 1954. This initial building contained 310 beds, which were phased into use over a five-year period, along with facilities for cancer research and educational activities. Credit: Unknown photographer/artist.

The exterior of Building 31, A-wing during late summer taken from across the street. Credit: Unknown photographer/artist.

This photo of cardiovascular syphilis shows coronary artery stenosis, a feature of late syphilis. The ostia of both coronary arteries are markedly stenosed. Note the "tree-bark" effect in the intimal lining of the aorta just superior to the aortic valve. Credit: CDC.

Late afternoon. Credit: CDC.

Late spring on Mars (centered on roughly 160, 210, and 305 degrees longitude). Credit: NASA.

Survey launch off of PEIRCE Late spring in Penobscot Bay. Credit: Coast & Geodetic Survey Historical Image Collection.

A dry lake bed flooded by late spring rains Level crew of Paul Taylor. Credit: Coast & Geodetic Survey Historical Image Collection.

Groundsel bushes displaying silver-bristled seeds following flowering in late summer. Credit: America's Coastlines.

A ferryboat plying Puget Sound in the late afternoon. Credit: America's Coastlines.

Two LCM's (landing craft medium) used to ferry much of the surveyors' camp to Pitt Point in the late summer. Credit: Paths Less Taken - NOAA at the Ends of the Earth.

Source: pictures compiled by the editor from various references; see picture credits.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

But the state of mankind is not so miserable that they are not capable of using this remedy, till it be too late to look for any. (Second Treatise of Government)

To those colonies and territories which as a consequence of the late war have ceased to be under the sovereignty of the States which formerly governed them and which are inhabited by peoples not yet able to stand by themselves under the strenuous conditions of the modern world, there should be applied the principle that the well-being and development of such peoples form a sacred trust of civilisation and that securities for the performance of this trust should be embodied in this Covenant. (reference)

Do not let us take the course of allowing events to drift along until it is too late. ("Iron Curtain" Speech)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

He seems to me to be grown particularly gentle of late.

I caught at his arm, but too late to stop him.

If he could only be there first, and catch Bob Cratchit coming late! That was the thing he had set his heart upon

It had been late one night - of course

These perceptions have come too late.

Sometimes at a late hour of the night, if the two women were awake, they would hear him slowly promenading the walks

She told too of certain changes she had seen in her of late and of her odd ways and sayings

Too late he died that might have kept that title, Which by his death hath lost much majesty

The children had fallen by the way in the late night

The yellow corn and turnips were too late to come to anything

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

Health

Death usually occurs in the late teens. (references)

Maternal bleeding or severe proteinuria late in pregnancy. (references)

Batten disease is often fatal by the late teens or twenties. (references)

Business

There are a few late model U.S. vehicles on the roads in Belgium. (references)

Both were released late in the year upon completion of their terms. (references)

The Abu Dhabi authorities in the late 1980's instituted an offset program. (references)

Children

Gabon

However, with the decline in such revenues in the late 1990's, the upkeep of schools and payment of teachers has suffered. (references)

Burundi

The National Assembly voted in favor of the ratification of the Additional Protocol Against Child Soldiers late in the year. (references)

Cuba

The police began to enforce this law more actively in late 1998 and continued to do so during the year as part of a general crackdown on prostitution. (references)

Civil Liberties

Honduras

La Tribuna was founded by the late father of the President and still is run by his family. (references)

Guinea

Travelers face harassment by police and at military roadblocks, particularly late at night. (references)

India

Violent attacks against Christians by Hindus, which began in late 1998, continued during the year. (references)

Economic History

Azerbaijan

State enterprises are often late paying their employees. (references)

New Zealand

This legislation is expected to be introduced in late 2001. (references)

Chile

Both countries expect to complete the agreement by late 2001. (references)

Human Rights

Iran

The trial began in late December 2000 in a military court. (references)

Eritrea

In some cases, police intervened too late to prevent the abuse or were unable to halt the abuse. (references)

Turkey

Until late 2000, prisons were run on the ward system and most prisoners lived in 50-100 person wards. (references)

Indigenous People

Indonesia

Beginning in late 1999, Papuan political figures and traditional tribal organizations began forming Papuan "task forces" (Satgas Papua). (references)

Indonesia

Moreover, the creation of an armed "Red and White Task Force" (Satgas Merah Putih) in Papua, reportedly at the instigation of the army, has raised concerns that certain elements of the national security forces may be seeking to create an armed Papuan paramilitary force, modeled on East Timorese militias, to oppose Papuan independence efforts, and to oppose specifically, the Satgas Papua groups, the vast majority of which were considered proindependence, and which were disbanded in late 2000. The Papua Special Autonomy Law was signed into law in November, but by year's end had not come into effect. (references)

Minorities

Morocco

The conference plans a bigger meeting in late December. (references)

Political Economy

Zambia

Elections are expected in late 2001. (references)

Kenya

Kenya's next general election must occur by law by late 2002. (references)

CZECH REPUBLIC

The 2002 budget, under discussion in late 2001, will also be in deficit. (references)

Political Rights

Lesotho

Local elections, scheduled to be held late in 1998, were postponed because of the 1998 crisis. (references)

East Timor

In late October 1999, UNTAET became responsible for maintaining a police and military apparatus in East Timor. (references)

Zambia

Provisions for a continuous registration system were enacted too late to be of use in the December 27 elections. (references)

Trade

Argentina

By late November 1998, operations valued at $8 million had taken place in this zone. (references)

Brazil

Senior Brazilian officials have stated to embassy officers since late 1999 that such requirements currently do not exist. (references)

Poland

A Partial Credit Guarantee protects private lenders against possible late loan payments and finances extensions of medium term loans. (references)

Travel

Botswana

Even carefully arranged meetings may sometimes start late. (references)

Russia

Winter clothes may be needed as early as October or as late as April. (references)

Mexico

Rains, often torrential, usually come in the late afternoon and can tie up traffic. (references)

Women

Mauritania

A booklet published late in 2000 advises women of their rights. (references)

Barbados

The new Bureau of Gender Affairs reported that it had received three complaints of sexual harassment late in the year. (references)

Lithuania

The ombudsman submitted amendments to the Labor Code and, together with women's organizations, launched a public awareness campaign late in the year. (references)

Worker Rights

India

By late 2000, approximately 260 children had been enrolled. (references)

Iran

Instances of late or partial pay for government workers reportedly are common. (references)

Singapore

Most maids work 6 days per week from very early morning until late in the evening. (references)

Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

Expressions using "late": a moment late ♦ at a late hour ♦ at this late hour ♦ be a late starter ♦ be a little late ♦ be late ♦ be late leaving ♦ be up late ♦ being late ♦ better late than never ♦ come late ♦ critically late ♦ excuse my being late ♦ get home late ♦ get up late ♦ go to bed late ♦ in the late autumn ♦ it's getting late ♦ it's late ♦ keep late hours ♦ late abortion ♦ late afternoon ♦ late arrival ♦ late autumn ♦ late blight ♦ late charges ♦ late crop ♦ late crops ♦ late developer ♦ late edition ♦ late effect ♦ late emperor ♦ late evening ♦ late grandfather ♦ late Greek ♦ late husband ♦ late in life ♦ late in the day ♦ late in the morning ♦ late interest ♦ late king ♦ late lamented ♦ late latin ♦ late morning ♦ late mother ♦ late news ♦ late night ♦ late night club ♦ late of ♦ late of london ♦ late on the morning ♦ late order ♦ late pass ♦ late potato ♦ late program ♦ late purple aster ♦ late riser ♦ late run ♦ late spark ♦ late summer ♦ late that day ♦ late that night ♦ late that week ♦ late vintage ♦ late wife ♦ late wood ♦ late years ♦ make a late order for ♦ make late ♦ mind and don't be late ♦ no matter how late ♦ not late ♦ of late ♦ of late years ♦ sit up late ♦ sitting up late ♦ sleep late ♦ somewhat late ♦ stay up late ♦ the late ♦ the late prime minister ♦ till late ♦ Too late ♦ too late for ♦ until late ♦ very late ♦ were it never so late. Additional references.

Beginning with "late": late-acting, late-afternoon, late-age, late-antique, late-arriving, Late-august, late-autumn, late-baroque, Late-beethoven, late-blooming, late-booking, late-braking, late-business, late-caledonian, late-capitalist, late-career, late-classical, late-club, late-come, late-comer, late-comers, late-coming, late-cycle, late-day, late-developer, late-developers, late-developing, late-devensian, late-edwardian, late-eighteenth, late-eighteenth-century, late-eighties, late-eleventh, late-eleventh-century, late-elizabethan, late-era, late-evening, late-feudal, late-fifteenth-century, late-fifties, late-filing, late-flowering, late-formed, late-fourteenth-century, late-fourth, late-georgian, late-glacial, late-gothic, late-hit, late-hitting, late-hour, late-imperial, late-industrial, late-in-the-day, Late-july, late-lamented, late-landed, late-leaching, late-life, late-march, late-marrying, late-maturing, late-medieval, late-middle, Late-miocene, late-morning, late-moving, late-night, late-night hour, late-nineteenth, late-nineteenth-and, late-nineteenth-century, late-offer, late-onset, late-opening, late-order, late-paying, late-payment, late-period, late-picked, late-post-glacial, late-returning, late-ripening, late-rococo, late-roman, late-romantic, late-romanticism, late-saxon, late-season, late-second, late-secondary, late-seventeenth, late-seventeenth-century, late-seventies, late-shift, late-sixteenth, late-sixth-century, late-sixties, late-spring, late-stage, late-starter, late-starters, late-summer, Late-sunday, late-tackled, late-tackling, late-teens, late-tenth-century, late-term, late-third, late-thirties, Late-triassic, late-turner, late-twentieth, late-twentieth-century, late-type, late-victorian, late-week.

Ending with "late": mid-late, mid-to-late.

Containing "late": silly-little-me-late-again-ish, working-late-at-the-office.

Afrikaans

laat (allow, leave, let, release, tardy). (various references)

Albanian

vonë (behindhand). (various references)

Arabic 

متأخر (behind), ‏فقيد (deceased), ‏متوفي (deceased), ‏متأخر (arrear, back, behindhand, belated, outstanding, overdue, slow, tardy), ‏مرحوم (deceased), ‏مبطئ (slow), ‏نام متأخرا, ‏حديث (chat, colloquy, conversation, discourse, modernistic, new, newfangled, palaver, speech, talk, yarn), ‏تأخر (be delayed, be in arrears, be late, go slow, hold back, lag, lateness, leeway, loiter, retard, tardiness), ‏السابق (forerunner), ‏الأخير (hindmost, lag, last, later, rear, rearmost), ‏إلى ساعة متأخرة, ‏راحل (departing, leaving, migrating, outgoing). (various references)

Aymara

qhept'ayaña (to be late). (various references)

Basque

berandu. (various references)

Breton

diwezhat. (various references)

Bulgarian 

със закъснение (behind schedule, behindhand), твърде късно (late in the day), късно, късен (serotinous), минал (bygone, departed, foregone, former, overpast, past), закъснял (back, belated, delayed, dilatory, lag, overdue, tardy), бивш (ci-devant, ex, former, old, onetime, quondam, sometime), предишен (former, old, precedent, preceding, previous, quondam, whilom), покоен (deceased, decedent, defunct, departed), доскорошен. (various references)

Catalan

tard, mort (dead). (various references)

Chinese 

闌 (door-screen, exhausted, mountain pass, to close, to concern, to involve, to shut, to turn off), 遲遲 (slow), 遲了 , 遲慢 (slow), 遲 (delayed, slow), 后 (Gulped, gulping, latest), 晚 (evening, night), 晏 (quiet). (various references)

Croatian

zakasniti (to be late), kasni (be late). (various references)

Czech

pozdì. (various references)

Danish

sent, sen (tardy). (various references)

Dutch

laat (let, tardy), vergevorderd (old, tardy). (various references)

Esperanto

malfrui (be late), malfrue, malfruas, malfrua (tardy). (various references)

Estonian

hilineme (are late), hilineda (to be late). (various references)

Faeroese

seinur (tardy). (various references)

Farsi 

مرحوم (Decedent), کند (Ballast, Blunt, Dilatory, Dull, Haunt, Heavy, Lazy, Leaden, Slack, Slow, Sluggish, Tardy, Unapt, Unready), گذشته (Back, Bygone, Old, Past), تازه (Breezy, Fresh, Green, New, Recent, Scion, Uptodate, Young), تادیرگاه , تادیروقت , زیاد (Copious, Extortionary, Far, Generous, Great, Heavy, High, Immoderate, Intense, Liberal, Manifold, Many, Much, Populous, Rife, Superabundant, Thick, Too, Vast, Very, Wide), اخیرا (New), اخیر (Last, Latter, Recent), دیراینده (Tardy), دیر (Abbey, Cloister, Convent, Long, Monastery, Tardy). (various references)

Finnish

myöhäinen, myöhään, myöhä, edesmennyt (deceased). (various references)

Flemish

laat (time). (various references)

French

tard. (various references)

French Canadian

retard (lateness). (various references)

Frisian

ferstoarn (dead), dea (dead, death). (various references)

Galician

tarde (afternoon). (various references)

German

spät (belated, tardily, tardy), verstorben (dead, deceased, defunct, departed), verspätet (behindhand, belated, belatedly, delayed, dilatory, is late, latish). (various references)

Greek 

αργά (largo, slowly). (various references)

Haitian Creole

anreta. (various references)

Hebrew 

מאוחר (belated), מאחר (laggard, latecomer, overdue, slowcoach, tardy), מנוח (deceased, ease, peace, quiet, rest, resting place, sanctuary). (various references)

Hungarian

késleltetett (delayed, delayed action, delayed-action, retarded), kései (backward). (various references)

Icelandic