as in tardiness
the quality or state of being late
we were unable to get into the movie due to our lateness in arriving
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Recent Examples of lateness
The lateness of the case is the Democrats’ own fault.
—
New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 9 Mar. 2026
The other real concern is her lateness.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 6 Mar. 2026
Staff who arrive late will be marked with an excused lateness, according to the district.
—Laura Fay, CBS News, 25 Feb. 2026
How must Yves Bissouma, who was left out of the squad for August’s UEFA Super Cup penalty shootout defeat to Paris-Saint Germain due to persistent lateness, feel watching his team-mate avoid facing the consequences?
—Jay Harris, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
Feldman provides an exceptional guide to a culture that produced castrati only to discard them, and to the haunted sense of too-lateness that left Moreschi outside his own life.
—Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
People who find that lateness is affecting their everyday life and relationships may benefit from discussing their concerns with a healthcare provider or mental health professional.
—Kelly McGreal, FOXNews.com, 14 Dec. 2025
The commenter went on to note that being occasionally late is one thing, but chronic lateness at someone else’s expense crosses a line.
—Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 19 Oct. 2025
What makes Tagovailoa’s comments of particular concern was that habitual lateness led to the team’s cultural reset ahead of the 2025 season, something that involved trading away one of their best players in Jalen Ramsey.
—Miami Herald, 13 Oct. 2025
New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 9 Mar. 2026
The other real concern is her lateness.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 6 Mar. 2026
Staff who arrive late will be marked with an excused lateness, according to the district.
—Laura Fay, CBS News, 25 Feb. 2026
How must Yves Bissouma, who was left out of the squad for August’s UEFA Super Cup penalty shootout defeat to Paris-Saint Germain due to persistent lateness, feel watching his team-mate avoid facing the consequences?
—Jay Harris, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
Feldman provides an exceptional guide to a culture that produced castrati only to discard them, and to the haunted sense of too-lateness that left Moreschi outside his own life.
—Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
People who find that lateness is affecting their everyday life and relationships may benefit from discussing their concerns with a healthcare provider or mental health professional.
—Kelly McGreal, FOXNews.com, 14 Dec. 2025
The commenter went on to note that being occasionally late is one thing, but chronic lateness at someone else’s expense crosses a line.
—Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 19 Oct. 2025
What makes Tagovailoa’s comments of particular concern was that habitual lateness led to the team’s cultural reset ahead of the 2025 season, something that involved trading away one of their best players in Jalen Ramsey.
—Miami Herald, 13 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lateness
tardiness
Noun
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The Arizona Republic reported that Nanos stepped down from the El Paso Police Department in 1982 after being accused of a series of infractions, including excessive force, off-duty gambling, improperly using his siren, and tardiness.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
11 Mar. 2026
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The Arizona Republic cites records obtained from the El Paso PD that purportedly include allegations of insubordination, insufficiency, tardiness, and numerous disciplinary reviews related to accusations of excessive force, dereliction of duty, and off-duty gambling.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lateness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lateness. Accessed 15 Mar. 2026.
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