Meaning & use

belated

adjective·Academic

Coming or happening later than expected or later than it should have.

See it in a sentence

He sent a belated birthday card almost two weeks after her birthday.

The company issued a belated apology after weeks of public criticism.

A note on using this word

"Belated" most commonly appears before nouns like "birthday," "apology," or "wishes," describing something offered after the proper moment.

Words with a similar meaning

latedelayedoverdue

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

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