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
Adverb
The notorious concentration camp was where Greenfield picked up the skills that would later define his career. Harmeet Kaur, CNN, 23 Mar. 2024 Diaz and Madden tied the knot in January 2015 and welcomed their first child nearly five years later. Carly Thomas, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Mar. 2024 Both of his legs were shredded; 23 surgeries later, Ha competed for his country in rowing at the 2020 Paralympics in Tokyo. Bryce Miller, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Mar. 2024 Idaho Education News obtained a copy of Green’s letter later Monday. Kevin Richert, Idaho Statesman, 23 Mar. 2024 Days later, a Purdue graduate student died by suicide, according to the coroner's office. Juhi Doshi, ABC News, 23 Mar. 2024 In January 2015, the actress and musician tied the knot and later welcomed their first child, daughter Raddix, in December 2019. Mitchell Peters, Billboard, 23 Mar. 2024 Hallmark will replace 77-year-old Amedeo Felisa no later than October 1, Aston Martin said Friday. Jamie Nimmo, Fortune Europe, 22 Mar. 2024 Two months later came several more alerts, all of them in November. Gina Kaufman, Detroit Free Press, 12 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'later.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Dictionary Entries Near later

Cite this Entry

“Later.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/later. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on later

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!