later
UK /ˈleɪ.tə/ · US /ˈleɪ.tɚ/ adverb, adjective, interjection
Also a form of late
- adverb Afterward in time (used with than when comparing with another time). “My roommate arrived first. I arrived later.”
- adverb At some unspecified time in the future. “I wanted to do it now, but I’ll have to do it later.”
- adverb (Manglish, Singlish) What if (something problematic or unanticipated happens); if not (something undesirable will happen). “Later you fall asleep how?”
- adjective 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.”
- adjective 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.”
- adjective At some time in the future. “The meeting was adjourned to a later date.”
- interjection (slang) See you later; goodbye. “Later, dude.”
Synonyms
afterwards later on sekali hereafter someday ulterior posterior late subsequently afterward after by and by
Antonyms
Etymology
* 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”).
Webster’s 1913
Etymology [L.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “later”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details