late 1 of 2

Definition of latenext
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

3
4

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
Tennessee had 211,445 outages and Mississippi reported 148,748 without electricity late Monday afternoon. Anne Li, Arkansas Online, 27 Jan. 2026 Typically, car loans are the last thing that Americans are late to pay out of fear their vehicle could be repossessed. Chris Isidore, CNN Money, 27 Jan. 2026
Adverb
However, late last week the city received notice that the organization was pulling their offer, citing capacity constraints. Dillon Thomas, CBS News, 28 Jan. 2026 Europe came late to Rapa Nui, two centuries after Magellan led a pioneering Spanish expedition across the Pacific in 1521. Literary Hub, 28 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for late
Recent Examples of Synonyms for late
Adjective
  • Some common reasons for delayed deliveries include bad weather, heavy traffic, high delivery demand during holidays, customs delays for international packages and operational problems like vehicle breakdowns, Amazon said online.
    Josh Kelly, Oklahoman, 26 Jan. 2026
  • The series starring Morris Chestnut was initially held back for another midseason run on Sundays before being summoned to the fall schedule to fill in for the delayed CIA, landing behind FBI on Mondays.
    Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 22 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • Aaron Glenn stood in front of a crowd of reporters, Jets staffers and former Jets players at his introductory news conference as the franchise’s new head coach and announced to the world that things were going to be different with him in charge.
    Zack Rosenblatt, New York Times, 28 Jan. 2026
  • This, however, is the first time a former presidential couple has been jailed at the same time.
    Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • After the Biden administration announced approximately $20 billion in subsidies (grants and loans) for Intel under the CHIPS and Science Act on March 20, 2024, the fallen chipmaker found a bottom.
    Jeff Kilburg, CNBC, 23 Jan. 2026
  • Several members of the Horizon team visited the country, obviously for inspiration but also to take detailed notes on the settings, right down to how fallen cherry blossoms blow around as a speeding car passes by.
    Caleb Jacobs, The Drive, 22 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • Metinvest considers human capital as important as advanced technologies.
    CBS News, CBS News, 23 Jan. 2026
  • Moscow has rebuilt Cold War-era bases, expanded Arctic military infrastructure, deployed advanced missile systems, and asserted control over polar shipping routes.
    Paul McCarthy, Boston Herald, 23 Jan. 2026
Adverb
  • Without being trained on neural data, the model produced a peculiar signal — one that was later discovered in actual brain activity.
    Big Think, Big Think, 29 Jan. 2026
  • Lawyers for the county election board responded about two weeks later, saying that the records are held by the county court clerk.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 29 Jan. 2026
Adverb
  • Blowing double-digit leads has been a habit with the Clippers (20-24) lately, and in Lue’s case over the past six seasons.
    Janis Carr, Oc Register, 23 Jan. 2026
  • This is a very trendy comparison lately, for obvious reasons — AI looks like a bubble the way internet companies were a bubble, wide-leg jeans are in, and Gwyneth Paltrow seems to be everywhere.
    Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 23 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • That’s true historically — Netflix ran a 10K on streaming before Disney could lace up its sneakers, prompting a mad belated frenzy from the Burbank firm to get its own service up and running more than a decade later, in 2019.
    Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 12 Dec. 2025
  • China, meanwhile, is living with the long shadow of its one-child policy, which was eased to a two-child rule in 2016 and then to a three-child policy in 2021 in a belated push to boost births.
    Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Chicago police said a witness found the 46-year-old unresponsive on the floor of a home in the 10100 block of South State Street.
    Elyssa Kaufman, CBS News, 28 Jan. 2026
  • Today, Harry and his older brother, Prince William, remain estranged, royal experts say.
    Stephanie Nolasco , Ashley Papa, FOXNews.com, 28 Jan. 2026

Cite this Entry

“Late.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/late. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on late

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!