Word
belated
Phoneticsbe·lat·ed
US/bɪˈɫeɪtɪd/
UK/bɪlˈeɪtɪd/
Definition
adj. happening or coming later than it should have. You use this most often when you forget to send a card or a gift on time.
adj. occurring or arriving later than expected or appropriate. Often used to qualify greetings, apologies, or recognition that missed a specific deadline or anniversary.
Examples
“I sent her a belated birthday card a week late.”
“The company offered a belated apology to the customers affected by the service outage last month.”
“The artist finally received belated recognition for her early work, though the praise came decades after she had moved on to different styles.”
Examples
simple
“I sent her a belated birthday card a week late.”
contextual
“The company offered a belated apology to the customers affected by the service outage last month.”
complex
“The artist finally received belated recognition for her early work, though the praise came decades after she had moved on to different styles.”
Usage
Commonly used in the fixed phrase 'belated birthday' and typically precedes the noun it modifies.
Real-World Examples
“Between 2020 and 2025, EU member states increased defence spending by 79%, a response to the Russian threat and a belated effort to meet Nato spending targets.” Scan code
englishreference.com/q/belated