later
gb/lˈeɪtɚ/ us/lˈeɪtɚ/
A1
English
~ 400
Senses
0 senses
adverb
A1
relation
1
at a future time
At a time after now or after another time you talked about.
Usage pattern:
[do something] later
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'later' with 'latter'; 'later' refers to time, while 'latter' refers to the second of two items.
Synonyms
afterward (Slightly more formal and less common in everyday speech.)
|
subsequently (Formal and often used in written or academic contexts.)
Antonyms
earlier (Refers to a time before the present or before another mentioned time.)
Collocations
see you later
|talk later
|call later
|meet later
Themes
daily life
|time
|planning
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- I'll finish my homework later.
- We can talk about it later.
- She said she'd call me later.
- They decided to meet later in the day.
Learner examples
- I will eat later.
- We will go later.
- He will come later.
- She will call later.
adjective
B1
property
2
toward the end
Happening near the end of a time or order.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse 'later' as an adjective with 'latest', which means 'most recent'.
Synonyms
subsequent (Formal; emphasizes following in sequence.)
|
final (Implies last part, not just toward the end.)
Antonyms
earlier (Refers to being nearer the beginning of a period or sequence.)
Collocations
later years
|later stages
|later period
Themes
time
|history
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- In his later years, he moved to the countryside.
- The disease is more serious in its later stages.
- The later chapters of the book are more exciting.
Learner examples
- He was happy in his later life.
- The later part of the movie was sad.
- We saw him in his later years.
interjection
informal
A2
action
3
goodbye until next time
A friendly way to say goodbye until you see someone again.
Common mistake:
Learners might use 'later' this way in formal situations where it sounds too casual.
Synonyms
see you (Neutral and widely used; not as slangy as 'later'.)
|
bye (Shorter and more general; not tied to future meeting idea.)
Antonyms
hello (Opposite in that it is used when meeting someone, not leaving.)
Themes
daily life
|greetings
|communication
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Gotta go now—later!
- 'Later!' he called as he left.
- Thanks for coming over. Later!
Learner examples
- I have to go. Later!
- Later, my friend!
- See you tomorrow. Later!
Grammar
Dictionary form
later
IPA
GB/lˈeɪtɚ/
US/lˈeɪtɚ/
Syllables & stress
later (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (later)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: later
- Comparative: laterer
- Superlative: laterest
Word family
Expressions
later on
1/lˈeɪtɚ ˈɔn/
fixed phrase
at some point afterward
At some time after now or after another time we talked about.
Examples
- We can discuss it later on.
- Later on, she became a famous writer.
sooner or later
1/sˈunɚ ˈɔɹ lˈeɪtɚ/
fixed phrase
eventually, at some point in future
It will happen at some unknown time in the future.
Examples
- Sooner or later, you'll have to decide.
- Sooner or later, he will find out the truth.
- They knew trouble would come sooner or later.
- Everyone makes mistakes sooner or later.
see you later
1/sˈi jˈu lˈeɪtɚ/
fixed phrase
Goodbye until later time
A friendly way to say goodbye when you will meet again soon.
Examples
- I have to go now. See you later!
- See you later! I'm off to class.
- See you later, Tom! Have a good day.
- I’ll see you later at the party.
see you later
2/sˈi jˈu lˈeɪtɚ/
fixed phrase
informal
say goodbye until later
Used when saying goodbye, meaning you will see the person again soon.
Examples
- Bye! See you later.
- See you later at the party.