later
comparative form of late: more late
Adjective
- comparative form of late: more late
- Jim was later than John.
- Coming afterward in time (used with than when comparing with another time).
- The Victorian era is a later period of English history than the Elizabethan era.
- The eldest son was usually given the name of his paternal grandfather, later children those of other relatives. - 1945, E[lizabeth] G[idley] Withycombe, “Introduction”, in The Oxford Dictionary of English Christian...
- Coming afterward in distance (following an antecedent distance as embedded within an adverbial phrase)
- I felt some leg pain during the first mile of my run and I strained my calf two miles later.
- At some time in the future.
- The meeting was adjourned to a later date.
Origin
* Adverb: From Middle English later, latere, from Old English lator, equivalent to late + -er. * Adjective: From Middle English later, latere, from Old English lætra, equivalent to late + -er. Cognate with Saterland Frisian leeter (“later”), West Frisian letter (“later”), Dutch later (“later”), German Low German later (“later”).
Antonyms
Adverb
- comparative form of late: more late
- You came in late yesterday and today you came in even later.
- Afterward in time (used with than when comparing with another time).
- My roommate arrived first. I arrived later.
- I arrived later than my roommate.
- At some unspecified time in the future.
- I wanted to do it now, but I’ll have to do it later.
- What if (something problematic or unanticipated happens); if not (something undesirable will happen).
- Compare Malay nanti (“later; if not”)
- Later you fall asleep how?
Synonyms: sekali
Synonyms
Antonyms
Derived
catch you later I kill you later neverthelater no later than you later alligator shoot first and ask questions later smell ya later smell you later sooner rather than later sooner than later to be named later
Interjection
- See you later; goodbye.
- Later, dude.
Derived
later days later on laters laterward laterwards save for later sooner or later