| late | |
| 1. adj. Near the end of a period of time. | |
| It was late in the evening when we finally arrived. | |
| 2. adj. Specifically, near the end of the day. | |
| It was getting late and I was tired. | |
| 3. adj. (usually not used comparatively) Associated with the end of a period. | |
| Late Latin is less fully inflected than classical Latin. | |
| 4. adj. Not arriving until after an expected time. | |
| Even though we drove as fast as we could, we were still late. | |
| Panos was so late that he arrived at the meeting after Antonio, who had the excuse of being in hospital for most of the night. | |
| 5. adj. Not having had an expected menstrual period. | |
| I'm late, honey. Could you buy a test? | |
| 6. adj. (anchor, deceased)(not comparable, euphemistic) Deceased, dead: used particularly when speaking of the dead person's actions while alive. (Often used with "the"; see usage notes.) | |
| Her late husband had left her well provided for. | |
| The piece was composed by the late Igor Stravinsky. | |
| 7. adj. Existing or holding some position not long ago, but not now; departed, or gone out of office. | |
| the late bishop of London | |
| the late administration | |
| 8. adj. Recent — relative to the noun it modifies. | |
| 9. n. (informal) A shift (scheduled work period) that takes place late in the day or at night. | |
| 10. adv. After a deadline has passed, past a designated time. | |
| We drove as fast as we could, but we still arrived late. | |
| 11. adv. formerly, especially in the context of service in a military unit. | |
| Colonel Easterwood, late of the 34th Carbines, was a guest at the dinner party. | |
| The Hendersons will all be there / Late of Pablo Fanque's Fair / What a scene! — "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!", The Beatles | |
