What is the Latin word for late?

The usual Latin words for “late” are sērus, tardus, sērōtinus; also posterus, īnferus, pluvia. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“late” in Latin

sēruslate, too late; slow, tardy tardusslow, sluggish; tardy; late, lingering sērōtinuslate (ripening etc); evening posterusfollowing, next, coming after; inferior īnferuslow; the souls of the dead; the netherworld, the underworld, Hell pluviarain; a shower (of something)ūvathe fruit of the vine; a grape; grapes; a bunch or cluster of grapes īnferiorsubsequent, later, latter in time or succession; inferior or lower in quality, rank, or number vesperthe evening or vespers; supper, dinner (evening meal); the evening star statimstably, in a constant manner; at once, immediately; then (at that time)

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

late adj.

serus (after the usual or proper time; opposed to tempestivus; the comparativeserior is sometimes used to give intensity to the signification when two things are compared, of which one is later, or much more too late, than the other; but there is no superlative, serissimus); tardus (long in coming, slow in approach; superlative tardissimus, very late, which was used instead of serissimus); serotinus (happening or coming late in the season; e.g., pluvia; uvae; opposed to tempestivus); posterior, inferior (following in succession or time; e.g., later writers, scriptores aetate posteriores or inferiores; scriptores posterioris temporis [☞ not serioris temporis, nor scriptores seriores or sequiores]): aetate posterior or inferior; aetatis inferioris (more modern or recent; opposed to aetate prior or superior).

late adv.

sero (not at proper time; opposed to tempestive): tarde (slowly; opposed to celeriter, sine mora, statim): vesperi (late in the day, in the evening). Too late, sero; post tempus; nimis sero (far too late): late in the day, multo; sero (when the context fixes the sense) [☞ never sero diei in Cic. or Caes.]: it was late in the day, multa jam dies erat [☞ not jam serum diei erat in Cic. or Caes.]: it is too late, serum or sero est.

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for late?: The usual Latin words for “late” are sērus, tardus, sērōtinus; also posterus, īnferus, pluvia. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.