Standard Lemma guide

lateness

noun · 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.

  • UK, US: /ˈleɪt.nɪs/
  • UK, US: /ˈleɪt.nəs/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -eɪtnəs
  • CMU ARPABET: L EY1 T N AH0 S Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The state of being late.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable, usually

Examples

  • His chronic lateness will cost him a promotion if not his job.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

quality of coming late or later in time

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: earliness

Broader terms: timing

Narrower terms: posteriority, subsequentness, subsequence

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English late Proto-Germanic *-inōną Proto-Indo-European *-dyé- Proto-Germanic *-atjaną Proto-Indo-European *-tus Proto-Germanic *-þuz Proto-Germanic *-assuz Proto-Germanic *-inassuz Proto-West Germanic *-nassī Old English -nes Middle English -nesse English -ness English lateness From late + -ness.

Across languages

Translations

13 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: закъснялост (zakǎsnjalost) — The property of being late
  • Czech: zpoždění — The property of being late
  • Czech: opoždění — The property of being late
  • German: Verspätung — The property of being late
  • Icelandic: seinleiki — The property of being late
  • Irish: déanaí — The property of being late
  • Japanese: 遅刻 (chikoku) — The property of being late
  • Lithuanian: vėlavimas — The property of being late
  • Lithuanian: vėlavimasis — The property of being late
  • Māori: tūreititanga — The property of being late
  • Old English: lætnes — The property of being late
  • Romanian: întârziere — The property of being late
  • Romanian: zăbavă — The property of being late