LATE :  adj 1: being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time; "late evening"; "late 18th century"; "a late movie"; "took a late flight"; "had a late breakfast" [ant: early, middle] 2: after the expected or usual time; delayed; "a belated birthday card"; "I'm late for the plane"; "the train is late"; "tardy children are sent to the principal"; "always tardy in making dental appointments" [syn: belated, tardy] 3: of the immediate past or just previous to the present time; "a late development"; "their late quarrel"; "his recent trip to Africa"; "in recent months"; "a recent issue of the journal" [syn: late(a), recent] 4: having died recently; "her late husband" [syn: late(a)] 5: of a later stage in the development of a language or literature; used especially of dead languages; "Late Greek" [ant: early, middle] 6: at or toward an end or late period or stage of development; "the late phase of feudalism"; "a later symptom of the disease"; "later medical science could have saved the child" [syn: later(a)] [ant: early] 7: (used especially of persons) of the immediate past; "the former president"; "our late President is still very active"; "the previous occupant of the White House" [syn: former(a), late(a), previous(a)] adv 1: later than usual or than expected; "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" [syn: belatedly, tardily] [ant: early] 2: to an advanced time; "deep into the night"; "talked late into the evening" [syn: deep] 3: at an advanced age or stage; "she married late"; "undertook the project late in her career" 4: in the recent past; "he was in Paris recently"; "lately the rules have been enforced"; "as late as yesterday she was fine"; "feeling better of late"; "the spelling was first affected, but latterly the meaning also" [syn: recently, lately, of late, latterly]

after time, ahead of time, anachronistic, ancient, antedated, arrested, asleep, asleep in Jesus, at rest, back, backward, beforehand, behind, behind time, behindhand, belated, belatedly, bereft of life, blocked, breathless, bygone, called home, carrion, checked, cold, croaked, current, dated, dead, dead and gone, death-struck, deceased, deep into, defunct, delayed, delayed-action, demised, departed, departed this life, destitute of life, detained, dilatory, done for, early, erstwhile, exanimate, extinct, fallen, far on, finished, food for worms, fore, foredated, former, formerly, fresh, gone, gone to glory, gone west, held up, heretofore, hung up, ill-considered, ill-seasoned, ill-timed, immemorial, impeded, improper, in a bind, in abeyance, inanimate, inappropriate, inauspicious, inconvenient, inexpedient, infelicitous, inopportune, intempestive, intrusive, irrelevant, jammed, last, late lamented, lately, later, latish, latter, latterly, launched into eternity, lifeless, mal a propos, malapropos, martyred, metachronistic, misdated, mistimed, moratory, never on time, new, newly come, no more, none too soon, obstructed, of late, of yesterday, off base, old, olden, once, onetime, out of date, out of line, out of phase, out of season, out of time, overdue, parachronistic, passed on, past, past due, postdated, preceding, prehistoric, premature, previous, previously, primeval, primitive, prior, prochronistic, pushing up daisies, quondam, recent, recently, released, reposing, resting easy, retarded, sainted, set back, sleeping, slow, slowed down, smitten with death, sometime, still, stillborn, stopped, taken away, taken off, tardily, tardy, then, too late, too soon, unbefitting, unfavorable, unfit, unfitting, unfortunate, unhandy, unhappy, unlucky, unpropitious, unpunctual, unready, unripe, unseasonable, unsuitable, untimely, untoward, whilom, with the Lord, with the saints, without life, without vital functions, wrong,

LATE : \Late\, adv. [AS. late. See Late, a.] 1. After the usual or proper time, or the time appointed; after delay; as, he arrived late; -- opposed to early. 2. Not long ago; lately. 3. Far in the night, day, week, or other particular period; as, to lie abed late; to sit up late at night. Of late, in time not long past, or near the present; lately; as, the practice is of late uncommon. Too late, after the proper or available time; when the time or opportunity is past.

LATE : \Late\, a. [Compar. Later, or latter; superl. Latest.] [OE. lat slow, slack, AS. l[ae]t; akin to OS. lat, D. laat late, G. lass weary, lazy, slack, Icel. latr, Sw. lat, Dan. lad, Goth. lats, and to E. let, v. See Let to permit, and cf. Alas, Lassitude.] 1. Coming after the time when due, or after the usual or proper time; not early; slow; tardy; long delayed; as, a late spring. 2. Far advanced toward the end or close; as, a late hour of the day; a late period of life. 3. Existing or holding some position not long ago, but not now; lately deceased, departed, or gone out of office; as, the late bishop of London; the late administration. 4. Not long past; happening not long ago; recent; as, the late rains; we have received late intelligence. 5. Continuing or doing until an advanced hour of the night; as, late revels; a late watcher.