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
Up Close is Sourcing Journal’s regular check-in with industry executives to get their take on topics ranging from their company’s latest moves to personal style. Sarah Jones, Sourcing Journal, 10 Apr. 2025 Their latest project is not firing researchers or pulling funds—although there’s still plenty of that going on. Brian Barrett, Wired News, 10 Apr. 2025
Adverb
Once a national discount heavyweight, Big Lots was delisted from the NYSE late last year and now trades as a penny stock. Catherine Baab, Quartz, 9 Apr. 2025 Powerful storms repeatedly struck parts of the South and Midwest late last week and over the weekend, killing dozens of people across multiple states and giving way to disastrous flooding in a number of regions. Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 8 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for late
Recent Examples of Synonyms for late
Adjective
  • Imagine if a future Republican administration wanted to ban from employment all of the staffers and others who were pardoned, some questionably but all legally, by former President Joe Biden.
    The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 14 Apr. 2025
  • The building, a century-old former canning and bottling plant, was donated in 2017 to two nonprofits — Affordable Recovery Housing and Residence for Patriots Services — according to a trustee’s deed documenting the transfer.
    Samantha Moilanen, Chicago Tribune, 14 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • The next era focuses on cracking the code for personalization, advanced marketing assets, and empathetic conversational AI. Computational Medicine.
    Maribel Lopez, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025
  • With fancy lights and advanced algorithms, the Derma-Reader analyzes skin across several categories, including wrinkles, dark circles and texture.
    Charles Trepany, USA Today, 14 Apr. 2025
Adverb
  • Taylor entered rehab for cocaine and alcohol addiction, before returning for a second stint later that year.
    Anna Moeslein, Glamour, 15 Apr. 2025
  • Nearly 10 years later, Women’s Best has expanded to a brick-and-mortar location in Austria and an Instagram following of 3.4 million.
    Katherine Love, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025
Adverb
  • Lopez has been spending a lot of time in New York lately, and her outfits have ranged from casual and comfortable looks to the highest octane slays, and sometimes even both at the same time.
    Aamina Inayat Khan, StyleCaster, 17 Apr. 2025
  • Some industry veterans have expressed concern lately about FAST saturation in the U.S., given the ongoing challenges for viewers looking to discover programming and advertisers and programmers trying to reach and retain viewers.
    Dade Hayes, Deadline, 17 Apr. 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
  • Morales' older brother, Ricardo, confirmed his death in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
    Nicholas Creel, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Apr. 2025
  • In contrast, older generations started saving much later, with boomers beginning at an average age of 37 and with plans to retire at 72.
    Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow was popular enough that fans wanted a solo story, but the studio didn't bother to make it until her character was already dead in the major timeline, then skipped the theatrical release, which Johansson sued them about.
    Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 19 Apr. 2025
  • My frustration arose in the smaller tasks, a few dishes here, day-old coffee in the pot there, a small stack of mail on the countertop, dead leaves falling off a plant, and more.
    Rebecca Jones, Southern Living, 19 Apr. 2025
Adverb
  • Foreman eventually retired from boxing in 1977 but returned to the sport a decade later, reclaiming his championship in 1994.
    Brenton Blanchet, People.com, 22 Mar. 2025
  • Foreman would continue his career, eventually facing off against Frazier again in June 1976.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 22 Mar. 2025

Cite this Entry

“Late.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/late. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.

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