Standard Lemma guide

latecomer

noun · 3 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.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈleɪtˌkʌm.ə/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • General-American: /ˈleɪtˌkʌm.ɚ/
  • CMU ARPABET: L EY1 T K AH0 M ER0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

One who has arrived comparatively recently.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • The old families in the neighborhood look down on him as a latecomer, his family only arrived in the 18th century, too nouveau for them.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

One who arrived late.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • At the party the host made a point of greeting all the latecomers he missed in the first pass.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

someone who arrives late

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: arrival, arriver, comer

History

Etymology

From late + comer.

Across languages

Translations

18 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: tocatardà — one who arrived late
  • Dutch: laatkomer — one who arrived late
  • Estonian: hilineja — one who arrived late
  • Finnish: myöhästyjä — one who arrived late
  • Finnish: mattimyöhäinen — one who arrived late
  • Finnish: maijamyöhäinen — one who arrived late
  • French: retardataire — one who arrived late
  • German: Zuspätkommender — one who arrived late
  • German: Zuspätkommende — one who arrived late
  • Irish: leastar — one who arrived late
  • Italian: ritardatario — one who arrived late
  • Norman: r'tardataithe — one who arrived late
  • Russian: опозда́вший (opozdávšij) — one who arrived late
  • Russian: опозда́вшая (opozdávšaja) — one who arrived late
  • Spanish: tardón — one who arrived late
  • Swedish: eftersläntrare — one who arrived late
  • Swedish: senkomling — one who arrived late
  • Welsh: hwyrddyfodiad — one who arrived late