# belated

/bɪˈɫeɪtɪd/ (US) · /bɪlˈeɪtɪd/ (UK) · CEFR B2 · Adjective

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/belated
Updated: 2026-05-11

## Definition

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.

For teachers: 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.

## Usage notes

- Commonly used in the fixed phrase 'belated birthday' and typically precedes the noun it modifies.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.