later

1 of 2

adverb

lat·​er ˈlā-tər How to pronounce later (audio)
: at some time subsequent to a given time : subsequently, afterward
one week later
they later regretted the decision
often used with on
experience that will be useful later on

-later

2 of 2

noun combining form

: worshipper
bibliolater

Examples of later in a Sentence

Adverb I'll talk to you again later. They later regretted the decision. She returned several weeks later. I saw him again later that morning.
Recent Examples on the Web
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Adverb
Green Hill first met in a school house and then a building along Tate Lane that later became the Masonic Lodge. Andy Humbles, Nashville Tennessean, 6 Oct. 2025 In their 11 matches in all competitions, Arne Slot’s side have scored eight goals in the 83rd minute or later, with those late strikes keeping results on track but masking defensive deficiencies and a lack of coherence, at times, in attack. Tim Spiers, New York Times, 6 Oct. 2025 The exchange is later revealed to be a schizophrenic episode. Jr Radcliffe, jsonline.com, 6 Oct. 2025 Trump later told Axios that Netanyahu has no choice but to accept the deal. Diane Brady, Fortune, 6 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for later

Word History

Etymology

Adverb

see late entry 1

Noun combining form

French -latre, from Late Latin -latres, from Greek -latrēs; akin to Greek latron pay

First Known Use

Adverb

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of later was in the 13th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Later.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/later. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.

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