English Reference

Word

latterly

Phoneticslat·ter·ly

UK/lˈætəli/

Definition

adv. in the later part of a period of time. You use it to talk about what happened at the end of a long time or process.

adv. in the latter part of a period of time; subsequently. Often used to distinguish a later stage from an earlier one.

Examples

“He was a teacher, but latterly he worked as a writer.”

“The company started as a small bakery, but latterly it expanded into a global chain of coffee shops.”

“While the author's early works were characterized by a strict adherence to realism, his latterly novels embraced a more experimental and fragmented narrative style.”

Examples

simple

“He was a teacher, but latterly he worked as a writer.”

contextual

“The company started as a small bakery, but latterly it expanded into a global chain of coffee shops.”

complex

“While the author's early works were characterized by a strict adherence to realism, his latterly novels embraced a more experimental and fragmented narrative style.”

Real-World Examples

“A keen follower of football and a lifelong Spurs fan, Roger focused his research latterly on the sociology of sport and football graffiti.”
The Guardian · 2 Sept 2026
“Another, Marharyta Polovinko, killed in action in 2025 while serving as a drone operator, made macabre pencil drawings about the war, latterly using her own blood as a medium.”
The Guardian · 18 Aug 2026

Etymology

From latter + -ly.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry

Level
C1 · Advanced
Frequency
Occasional
Updated

Scan code

englishreference.com/q/latterly

English Reference