late 1 of 2

1
2
as in former
having been such at some previous time the late musical director said he would never have allowed such behavior while he was in charge

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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late

2 of 2

adverb

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective late contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of late are dead, deceased, defunct, and departed. While all these words mean "devoid of life," late is used especially with reference to a person in a specific relation or status.

the company's late president

In what contexts can dead take the place of late?

In some situations, the words dead and late are roughly equivalent. However, dead applies literally to what is deprived of vital force but is used figuratively of anything that has lost any attribute (such as energy, activity, radiance) suggesting life.

a dead, listless performance

How is deceased related to other words for late?

Deceased, departed, and late apply to persons who have died recently. Deceased is the preferred term in legal use.

the estate of the deceased

When is defunct a more appropriate choice than late?

The synonyms defunct and late are sometimes interchangeable, but defunct stresses cessation of active existence or operation.

a defunct television series

When could departed be used to replace late?

Although the words departed and late have much in common, departed is used usually as a euphemism.

our departed sister

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 late
Adjective
Gardens brim with fall florals, landscapers here seem to outdo themselves, decking porches and pathways with mums, pumpkins, and late blooms that rival summer’s splendor. Christine Chitnis, Vogue, 24 Sep. 2025 Disney still retains copyrights for later iterations of the characters, as well as trademarks, which vastly limit exploitation from competitors. Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 24 Sep. 2025
Adverb
Working late, office buildings, Financial District, London. Diana Olick, CNBC, 25 Sep. 2025 The pass came late and short, allowing a defender to break it up. Kansas City Star, 25 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for late
Recent Examples of Synonyms for late
Adjective
  • Sunday saw a delayed start and revamped schedule after a storm caused a shelter in place to be issued.
    Kirby Adams, Louisville Courier Journal, 22 Sep. 2025
  • That’s why our reaction was so delayed.
    Laura Sirikul, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • With celebrity judges Paula Abdul and host Jesse Palmer, also a former NFL quarterback, the Golden Bachelor Cheer Championship features two teams – Mel's Angels versus Mel's GB Squad.
    Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 25 Sep. 2025
  • Paramount settled a lawsuit with the president’s legal team in July for $16 million regarding an interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris that aired ahead of the 2024 general election.
    Christian Datoc, The Washington Examiner, 25 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Composting fallen leaves is another option to create what's known as 'black gold,' a nutrient-rich amendment.
    Lauren David, Southern Living, 27 Sep. 2025
  • His girls were having too much fun climbing the branches of the fallen oak to remove it.
    Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 26 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • The line of processors can support up to 128 gigabytes of advanced, low-power DRAM memory, LPDDR5x RAM.
    IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 25 Sep. 2025
  • The drones, which typically fly at 200 feet, are equipped with advanced camera systems.
    Doc Louallen, ABC News, 25 Sep. 2025
Adverb
  • Fewer than three hours later, however, most of that throng trickled out of the stadium in disappointment after watching the Mustangs break a scoreless game at halftime en route to a 21-0 victory.
    Tris Wykes, Twin Cities, 27 Sep. 2025
  • Two minutes later, Masco evened the score, 7-7, courtesy of a 55-yard dash from Jack Fabiano (16 carries, 101 yards).
    Justin Barrasso, Boston Herald, 27 Sep. 2025
Adverb
  • Trump has been criticized lately for pressuring the Federal Reserve and threatening its independence.
    Preston Fore, Fortune, 27 Sep. 2025
  • Which would make a nice change of pace from the collective teeth-gnashing in FoCo lately.
    Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 26 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Joy speaks at length about growing up in a culturally sophisticated yet oppressive family and holding her artistic temperament in check, before achieving a belated liberation.
    Richard Brody, New Yorker, 26 Sep. 2025
  • Then, at the end of the episode, Slightly pulls Arthur’s body into a ventilation shaft, in what could be a belated act of regret or an attempt to preserve a Xenomorph host body before any other aliens can eat it.
    Noel Murray, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • The suspect, identified as 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, was arrested and charged with capital murder.
    Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 26 Sep. 2025
  • That Tamra and Gretchen are both doing the same thing, trafficking in old rumors and nastiness not about the husband, as Meredith Marks would say, but about each other.
    Brian Moylan, Vulture, 26 Sep. 2025

Cite this Entry

“Late.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/late. Accessed 30 Sep. 2025.

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