The word "lateness" refers to the state of being late or delayed. It is spelled with the letter combination "late" followed by the suffix "-ness". The phonetic transcription of "lateness" is /ˈleɪtnəs/. The first syllable "layt" is pronounced with a long vowel sound, as in "late". The second syllable is pronounced with a short "uh" sound, indicated by the IPA symbol "ə". The stress is on the first syllable, which is common in English words with the suffix "-ness".
Lateness is a noun that refers to the act or state of being late, or the quality of not arriving, occurring, or being done at the expected or scheduled time. It is the opposite of punctuality and denotes a delay or tardiness in meeting an appointed time or completing a task within the designated timeframe.
Lateness can apply to various contexts, including personal, professional, or academic situations. For instance, an individual can be late for an appointment, a meeting, a class, or any event that has a specific starting time. It implies that the person did not arrive promptly or within the usual or acceptable time frame.
The concept of lateness can have different degrees, ranging from slight delays to significant or excessive tardiness. Factors contributing to lateness can vary, such as traffic congestion, public transportation delays, personal circumstances, poor time management skills, or a disregard for punctuality.
Lateness can have several consequences, depending on the situation and the expectations of those involved. It may result in inconvenience for others, disruption of schedules, missed opportunities, negative perceptions regarding reliability, or even disciplinary actions in a professional or academic setting.
In summary, lateness encapsulates the idea of not meeting expected or designated time frames, introducing a delay or tardiness that can have various ramifications depending on the context.
State of being late or tardy; comparatively modern time; of late, in times past; near the present; too late, after the proper time.
Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.
* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.
The word lateness is derived from the adjective late.
The noun late originated from the Old English word læt, which had a similar meaning of tardiness or delay. This Old English word was likely influenced by the Old Norse word latr, meaning slow or lazy.
Over time, the noun form late evolved to describe the condition or state of being behind schedule or delayed, leading to the formation of the word lateness.