late
being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time
How often you will meet it
Rank 507 of 71,295 words measured. It occurs 39,317 times across 173,643 chapters — 0.019% of every word in the library.
It belongs to the first 1,000 words, the band worth learning before any other.
What it means
adjective
- being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time late eveninglate 18th century
- after the expected or usual time; delayed also: belated, tardy a belated birthday cardI'm late for the plane
- of the immediate past or just previous to the present time also: recent a late developmenttheir late quarrel
- having died recently her late husband
- of a later stage in the development of a language or literature; used especially of dead languages Late Greek
- at or toward an end or late period or stage of development also: later the late phase of feudalisma later symptom of the disease
adverb
- later than usual or than expected also: belatedly, tardily the train arrived latewe awoke late
late in real books
Each sentence below was written by a published author and is taken from a different book in our library. Open one to read the passage it came from, with narration.
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Now go upstairs to your bed; it is already late.
A Knight of the White Cross · G. A. (George Alfred) Henty · Chapter 1
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We have given up late dinner for some time now.
The Mysterious Affair at Styles · Agatha Christie · Chapter 1
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Dr. Grey had only two, his own sister and his late wife's.
Christian's Mistake · Dinah Maria Mulock Craik · Chapter 1
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When I pondered on this with regret, the thoughts of my late deliverance forsook me.
The Life and Most Surprising Adventures · Daniel Defoe · Chapter 1
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Make haste, my son, the hour is waxing late, The night is cold, methinks our sheep await.
The White Christmas and other Merry · Walter Ben Hare · Chapter 1