Standard Lemma guide

belatedly

adv · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: B IH0 L EY1 T AH0 D L IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adv

Meaning 1

In a belated manner; tardily.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adverb

Meaning 2

later than usual or than expected

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the train arrived late
  • we awoke late
  • the children came late to school
  • notice came so tardily that we almost missed the deadline
  • I belatedly wished her a happy birthday

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: late, tardily

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English belate Old English -ed Proto-Indo-European *-h2 Proto-Indo-European *-éh2 Proto-Indo-European *-tós Proto-Indo-European *-eh2tos Proto-Germanic *-ōdaz Old English -od Middle English -ed English -ed English belated Middle English -ly English -ly English belatedly From belated + -ly.

Across languages

Translations

11 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 姍姍來遲地 /姗姗来迟地 — in a belated manner
  • Chinese Mandarin: 姗姗来迟 (shānshānláichíde) — in a belated manner
  • Finnish: myöhässä — in a belated manner
  • French: tardivement — in a belated manner
  • French: avec du retard — in a belated manner
  • French: en retard — in a belated manner
  • Italian: tardivamente — in a belated manner
  • Polish: poniewczasie — in a belated manner
  • Spanish: con retraso — in a belated manner
  • Spanish: tardíamente — in a belated manner
  • Spanish: atrasadamente — in a belated manner