tardiness

noun

tar·​di·​ness ˈtär-dē-nəs How to pronounce tardiness (audio)
Synonyms of tardinessnext
: the quality or state of being tardy or late
Students might be sent to Saturday school for any of various infractions, such as tardiness, truancy, smoking, failure to deliver class-work, or creating a disturbance.Anne H. Soukhanov
What you really need is a story that will not only excuse tardiness but encourage your boss to give you the entire day off.Jeff Foxworthy
His habitual tardiness got him fired from job after job, yet he couldn't see the consequences of his actions.June Kinoshita

Examples of tardiness in a Sentence

habitual tardiness will be recorded in your personnel file
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The first is about her constant tardiness for the party-ness (ohhhhh, ohhhhh). Brian Moylan, Vulture, 13 Mar. 2026 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 Nanos was disciplined for alleged use of excessive force, a shot fired, off-duty gambling, tardiness, failure to report for duty and other violations of rules and regulations. Stephanie Murray, AZCentral.com, 10 Mar. 2026 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 See All Example Sentences for tardiness

Word History

First Known Use

1608, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tardiness was in 1608

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Cite this Entry

“Tardiness.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tardiness. Accessed 19 Mar. 2026.

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