Belated – what does it mean? Definition, synonyms, and examples of use

Does the word belated sound and look familiar? Maybe its definition is not known, but one can surely guess its relation to two commonly known words: be and late. What does their combination pose? Let’s find out together!

belated what does it mean definition examples in sentences collocations synonyms Correctme.org

Belated – where does it come from?

The word belated belongs to the grammatical family of adjectives. Even though one might not know the exact meaning of belated, its visible connection to the words be and late is already quite telling. It’s safe to say that it has something to do with being behind date.

Belated – definition

Belated is an adjective that refers to anything happening later than expected. It is used to express that something is detained or took place after previously specified or anticipated.

Synonyms of the word belated

Here are some synonyms of the word belated:

  • late,
  • tardy,
  • overdue,
  • behindhand.

Examples of belated in sentences

A slew of logistical problems delayed the trial several times from its original start date in early 2020, including COVID-19 and belated discoveries.

Hannah Phillips, Jeanine Santucci, USA TODAY NETWORK

Scores of soldiers from the first world war, including some who died some time after being wounded, are being given belated recognition in cemeteries and on memorials to the missing across Britain each year, it was revealed on Tuesday.

James Meikle, The Guardian

Hours later, Hopkins made a belated acceptance speech in a video message posted on Instagram, standing in front of the rolling green fields of his native Wales.

Lynn Elber, The New Zealand Herald

The Fed official points out that SVB’s belated effort to fix its balance sheet only made matters worse.

Krystal Hur, Nicole Goodkind, Allison Morrow, Cable News Network

Written by

Student of Applied Linguistics at the University of Warsaw. Enthusiast of books, movies, and music. In her free time, she rides a bike, swims, and goes for walks. In the future, she dreams of a career as a translator.

X