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belated

adjective
be·​lat·​ed | \ bi-ˈlā-təd How to pronounce belated (audio) , bē-\

Definition of belated

1 : delayed beyond the usual time One of the men was belated and did not join us at all.— William Pittenger
2 : existing or appearing past the normal or proper time a belated birthday card She received belated recognition for her work.
Other Words from belated Synonyms & Antonyms Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about belated

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Other Words from belated

belatedly adverb
belatedness noun

Did You Know?

Long ago, there was a verb "belate," which meant "to make late." From the beginning, "belate" tended to mostly turn up in the form of its past participle "belated." Eventually, "belate" itself fell out of use, leaving behind "belated" as an adjective that preserved the original notion of delay. As you may have guessed, "belate" and its descendant "belated" derive from the adjective "late"; "belate" was formed by simply combining the prefix be- ("to cause to be") with "late."

Examples of belated in a Sentence

She received belated recognition for her scientific discovery.

Recent Examples on the Web

 The belated move, which comes just a week after Reuters reported that Beijing blocked Lam’s previous attempt to withdraw the bill, has done little to quell unrest. — Eamon Barrett, Fortune, "China’s Struggles," 7 Sep. 2019 The tickets were a belated birthday present for her mother, Chris Dunbar, who recalled seeing one of Joel’s early shows for just $10. — Christine Condon, baltimoresun.com, "Observations from Billy Joel’s historic performance at Camden Yards in Baltimore," 27 July 2019 March Madness wouldn’t be the same without the 58-year-old’s (happy belated birthday!) consistent presence. — Jacob Feldman, SI.com, "The 2019 Sports On-Air All-Stars," 11 July 2019 Then, in 2004, scientists who had conducted research at Sagehen gathered for a belated celebration of its fiftieth anniversary. — Nicola Twilley, The New Yorker, "A Trailblazing Plan to Fight California Wildfires," 19 Aug. 2019 In a belated, token gesture, the state ratified them in 1959 and 1962, respectively. — Kevin Waite, The New Republic, "California’s Forgotten Confederate History," 19 Aug. 2019 Darnell was born on June 19th, 1925, so this was quite the way to ring in a belated 94th birthday celebration. — Perri Ormont Blumberg, Southern Living, "Watch Vince Gill Make 94-Year-Old's Dreams Come True at Knoxville Concert," 12 Aug. 2019 At that point, whatever's left of that $425 million will be applied to the $125 payouts, presenting much better, if belated, odds. — Lily Hay Newman, WIRED, "You'll Get Your Equifax Money. It Just Might Take a While," 31 July 2019 Walk Through Fire’ as an extremely belated breakup record. — Stuart Munro, BostonGlobe.com, "Singer Yola’s arrival was a long time coming," 24 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'belated.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of belated

1670, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for belated

past participle of belate (to make late)

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More Definitions for belated

belated

adjective
How to pronounce belated (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of belated

: happening or coming very late or too late

See the full definition for belated in the English Language Learners Dictionary

belated

adjective
be·​lat·​ed | \ bi-ˈlā-təd How to pronounce belated (audio) \

Kids Definition of belated

: happening or coming very late or too late belated birthday wishes

Other Words from belated

belatedly adverb

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More from Merriam-Webster on belated

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with belated

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for belated

Spanish Central: Translation of belated

Nglish: Translation of belated for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of belated for Arabic Speakers

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