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
Federal officials also told Fox News that Gatica was arrested in 2011 on a robbery charge in Orange County but later pleaded to grand theft as part of a plea deal. Greg Wehner , Bill Melugin, FOXNews.com, 10 Nov. 2025 The two men exchange grateful texts later that evening, home safe and stumped about where to go next. Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 10 Nov. 2025 More than century later, Veblen’s theory hasn’t disappeared. Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 9 Nov. 2025 Taltos First introduced in 1990's The Witching Hour and given prime focus in Taltos four years later, the taltos are a species that, on first glance, look human, but are usually taller, thinner, and have bones mostly made of cartilage. Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Nov. 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 13 Nov. 2025.

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