Example: The late king ruled the country many years ago.
Definition
"Late" as a noun in historical contexts refers to a person who has recently died, often used to denote respect or to specify someone no longer living, as in 'the late king' indicating a king who ruled in the past but has since passed away.
Translations
difunto
overleden
difunt
défunt
verstorben
Etymology
The word "late" originates from Old English 'læt,' meaning slow or tardy, but its use to indicate someone deceased developed later. Did you know that calling someone 'the late' started as a way to mark their passing respectfully, emphasizing their absence in current times?
Learn to use this word actively
"Late" appears in the Vocaplus list "English - History - (A1) - set 1", containing 208 commonly used words.
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