belated

[ bih-ley-tid ]

adjective

1. coming or being after the customary, useful, or expected time:

   belated birthday greetings.

2. late, delayed, or detained:

   We started the meeting without the belated representative.

3. Archaic. obsolete; old-fashioned; out-of-date:

   a belated view of world politics.

4. Archaic. overtaken by darkness or night.

belated

/ bɪˈleɪtɪd /

adjective

1. late or too late

   belated greetings

Derived Forms

• beˈlatedness, noun
• beˈlatedly, adverb

Other Words From

• be·lat·ed·ly adverb
• be·lat·ed·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of belated¹

First recorded in 1610–20; belate “to delay” ( be- + late ) + -ed ²

Example Sentences

Running back Christian McCaffrey had a 100-yard game on his belated seasonal debut, quarterback Brock Purdy had a season-high 353 passing yards and rookie Ricky Pearsall scored his first NFL touchdown but the San Francisco 49ers still almost blew their game in Tampa Bay.

From BBC

She has fully embraced Biden’s belated toughening of asylum rules on the border — and since she’s been stung by the issue, she’s likely to follow through.

From Los Angeles Times

But the White House may very well have come to the belated conclusion that unconditionality hasn’t worked in leading to the regional deescalation it ostensibly wants.

From Los Angeles Times

In a statement provided to Chris Haynes, the NBA reporter who first reported on the lawsuit, the Clippers said: “Mr. Shelton’s claims were investigated and found to be without merit. We honored Mr. Shelton’s employment contract and paid him in full. This lawsuit is a belated attempt to shake down the Clippers based on accusations that Mr. Shelton should know are false.”

From Los Angeles Times

But Gay’s was belated; she focused on her “emotional glow-up” first.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• delayed
• long-delayed
• overdue
• tardy