belated

adjective

bi-ˈlā-təd How to pronounce belated (audio)
Definition of belatednext
as in delayed
not arriving, occurring, or settled at the due, usual, or proper time a belated birthday card

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of belated Use that momentum to start a belated conversation or lead a communication endeavor. — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 14 Apr. 2026 Middleton's visit to Leicester served as a belated celebration of Holi, the Hindu festival, which took place on Wednesday, March 4. — Emma Banks, InStyle, 5 Mar. 2026 That’s true historically — Netflix ran a 10K on streaming before Disney could lace up its sneakers, prompting a mad belated frenzy from the Burbank firm to get its own service up and running more than a decade later, in 2019. — Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 12 Dec. 2025 China, meanwhile, is living with the long shadow of its one-child policy, which was eased to a two-child rule in 2016 and then to a three-child policy in 2021 in a belated push to boost births. — Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for belated
Recent Examples of Synonyms for belated
  1. delayed
  2. late
  3. tardy
  4. delinquent
  5. overdue
Adjective
  • The impact is already being felt across various regions, from a delayed start to the Indian monsoon to a temporary halt to Peru’s fishing season.
    — Bloomberg, Fortune, 21 June 2026
  • That meant a delayed return to full activities.
    — Alec Lewis, New York Times, 9 June 2026
Definition of delayed
Adjective
  • On Tuesday alone, Bank of America, Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs and Wells Fargo are all releasing their latest quarterly results.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 July 2026
  • But that beacon became a target in late June and the South Bushwick community is left heartbroken.
    — Allen Devlin, CBS News, 14 July 2026
Definition of late
Adjective
  • Pulitzer-Prize finalist Daniel Mason molds his new novel around Miles Krzelewski, married to a Stanford academic superstar, twelve years tardy on his dissertation.
    — Hamilton Cain, Time, 7 July 2026
  • Machado, who was shifted over and essentially playing in the shortstop position, fielded the ball and diverted his route to go put a tag on Hoerner before making a tardy throw to first base.
    — Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 June 2026
Definition of tardy
Adjective
  • Whether a consumer negotiates directly with creditors or works with a debt settlement company, accounts may become delinquent during the negotiation process.
    — Carson Brunson, CNBC, 9 July 2026
  • With a monthly lease rate of $7,598, according to court documents, the CBD store has been delinquent for nearly 14 months.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 7 July 2026
Definition of delinquent
Adjective
  • For anyone who has spent real time on the peninsula, the statement feels less like political optimism and more like overdue recognition.
    — Rafael Peña, Miami Herald, 15 July 2026
  • This is long overdue for Prescott, who has mostly been a fringe top-10 QB on these lists.
    — Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 July 2026
Definition of overdue

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belated
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Cite this Entry

“Belated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/belated. Accessed 16 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on belated

Nglish: Translation of belated for Spanish Speakers

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