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
Kurosawa will attend the New York premiere of his latest thriller Cloud as well as a screening of Serpent’s Path, his 2024 French-language remake of his own 1998 V-Cinema title. Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 10 June 2025 In its latest quarterly earnings report, Apple’s revenue exceeded Wall Street expectations, including sales of its iPhone, which ticked up 2% compared to the same period a year earlier. Max Zahn, ABC News, 9 June 2025
Adverb
Topline The most southerly full moon for 19 years — the strawberry moon — rose late at night into twilight skies on Tuesday, June 10, 2025. Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 11 June 2025 After all, who can blame students (especially the older ones) for wanting to sleep late, play more video games and check in a few times a week to pick up their missing assignments. Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for late
Recent Examples of Synonyms for late
Adjective
  • California politics: In the June 18 Section A, a column about U.S. senators running for governor said former California Gov. George Deukmejian was term limited.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 20 June 2025
  • Here’s where the focus lies on offense. QBs coach Mark Brunell: Hendon Hooker An obvious one here, but Hooker is the most important developmental task for Brunell — a former NFL QB himself.
    Colton Pouncy, New York Times, 20 June 2025
Adjective
  • In some areas, this might work: Restricting the export of advanced U.S. semiconductor technology to China seems to have helped hold Beijing’s chip industry back.
    Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 14 June 2025
  • Not until comparatively recently has medicine begun to catalogue the health concerns associated with a father’s advanced age, and there are a number of them, including somewhat higher incidences of autism and of diagnoses of schizophrenia later in life.
    Jelani Cobb, New Yorker, 14 June 2025
Adverb
  • This happened at around 2:00 a.m. Around 2.5 hours later, during a precautionary safety check at Representative Hortman's home, officers spotted the suspect walking out the front door.
    / CBS News, CBS News, 15 June 2025
  • Regardless of whether raising the retirement age is chosen as the path to helping Social Security toward longstanding solvency, a later FRA could see different types of workers face potentially unfair disparities.
    Aliss Higham, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 June 2025
Adverb
  • This thought has come to mind a lot lately, as much has been made of the political wranglings of Earth’s richest technocrats, whose ambitions range from lower taxes to interplanetary colonization.
    Alex Morris, Rolling Stone, 15 June 2025
  • Yes, the Chicago Cubs are having a heck of a time scoring runs lately.
    Jeff Vorva, Chicago Tribune, 15 June 2025
Adjective
  • Scrambling to recall a few staff and issue some belated funding is just window dressing.
    David Faris, Newsweek, 27 Feb. 2025
  • Please accept our belated apology.
    David Fear, Rolling Stone, 25 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • Sculpting a modern tale about a porcelain company that’s 250 years old has a lot to do with understanding how younger generations come together, dine and entertain.
    Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 17 June 2025
  • International students make up about 27% of the student body at the nation’s oldest and wealthiest university.
    Andy Rose, CNN Money, 5 June 2025
Adjective
  • The driver was ejected during the crash and was pronounced dead, state police said.
    Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 18 June 2025
  • Miami-Dade Fire Rescue pronounced the man dead at the scene.
    Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 18 June 2025
Adverb
  • But the blood tests eventually come back negative, meaning Nuria (Maria Romanillos) and other athletes who took the drug are allowed to participate.
    Barry Levitt, Time, 20 June 2025
  • The margin eventually got to 31, which was the Thunder’s second-biggest deficit of the season.
    Tim Reynolds, Chicago Tribune, 20 June 2025

Cite this Entry

“Late.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/late. Accessed 26 Jun. 2025.

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