Meaning & use
later
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Meanings
adverb
At a time after the present moment or after a time already mentioned.
Grammar: Used to place an action after another time; often at the end of a sentence or clause.
Patterns
- later on
- later that day
- see you later
I'll call you later.
She arrived later than expected.
We'll discuss the details later on.
adjectivebefore a noun
Coming after another in time or order; more recent.
Grammar: Used before a noun: a later train, the later version. Not usually used after a linking verb.
Patterns
- a later train
- the later part of something
We had to take a later train because we missed the first one.
The later chapters of the book are more exciting.
In later life, he moved to the countryside.
Common combinations
- see you later
- See you later, I have to go now.
- later on
- Later on, we realized our mistake.
- a later date
- The meeting was moved to a later date.
- later that day
- Later that day, the weather improved.
- sooner or later
- Sooner or later, you'll have to decide.
Synonyms and how they differ
- afterward
- Afterward means after an event, often in a sequence; later can also mean after the present moment.
- subsequently
- Subsequently is more formal and often used in writing; later is more common in speech.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: later or latter? later or lately?
later vs latter
Latter refers to the second of two things mentioned, not to time. 'The latter option' means the second option.
later vs lately
Lately means 'recently', while later means 'at a future time'.
Practice
We missed the early train, so we took a ______ one.
Choose one answer.
Later means 'after the expected time' and fits before a noun. Latter refers to the second of two things, lately means recently, and late would mean the train itself was late, not a subsequent one.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “later”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.