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

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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 In January, Emma and Hedlund took a belated trip with Rhodes to celebrate his fifth birthday. — Chanel Vargas, InStyle, 1 Aug. 2026 The closer and title track serve as a belated mission statement, at once tonally busy and capaciously arranged, as if to make the frequency spectrum itself a character in the songs. — Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 12 June 2026 The journey proves a belated act of self-discovery. — John Hopewell, Variety, 17 May 2026 Tonkin marked their first wedding anniversary in a belated Instagram post on Tuesday, May 12. — Ashlyn Robinette, PEOPLE, 13 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for belated
Recent Examples of Synonyms for belated
  1. delayed
  2. late
  3. tardy
  4. delinquent
  5. overdue
Adjective
  • In a later video clip posted to his TikTok, Ash could be seen FaceTiming his social media manager, explaining that the group’s paperwork caused the delayed entry.
    — Tabitha Parent, PEOPLE, 7 Oct. 2026
  • The delayed flight was one of two crises that Haitian officials faced on Thursday with deportees being returned from the United States.
    — Gérard Maxineau, Miami Herald, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of delayed
Adjective
  • Rain could begin late Wednesday night, with Thursday shaping up to be a wet day.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 11 Nov. 2026
  • With the first hearing completed (and several steps left in the process), the city is eyeing late February as a potential start date for the moratorium, according to Jesica McEachern, Fort Worth Assistant City Manager.
    — Emily Holshouser, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Nov. 2026
Definition of late
Adjective
  • Much of the recent alarm stems from AI labs’ own stress tests—and their, at times, tardy or less-than-fulsome disclosures—in which frontier models are pushed to deceive, break rules, or resist shutdowns.
    — Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026
  • This deadline will not be extended, and tardy submissions will not be considered.
    — Dominic Patten, Deadline, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of tardy
Adjective
  • The county’s program allows Clerk Monica Gordon to administer payment plans and waive interest costs for a small group of property owners that owe delinquent taxes.
    — Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Bottoms and her husband have a history of delinquent property taxes going back years.
    — Adam Beam, AJC.com, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of delinquent
Adjective
  • According to reporting by The Boston Globe, workers had gone unpaid, Matellian was carrying a $50,000 start-up loan, and the landlord wanted $3,900 in overdue rent.
    — Tara Knight, Bon Appetit Magazine, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Treat Autonomy As Delegated Authority Consider a hypothetical agent assigned to resolve overdue invoices.
    — Lloyd Marino, Forbes.com, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of overdue

Browse Nearby Words

belabors
belated
belatedly
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Cite this Entry

“Belated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/belated. Accessed 13 Nov. 2026.

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