Latecomer

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈleɪtˌkʌm.ə/

Definitions

1. Someone who arrives after the agreed or scheduled time
2. A person appearing or entering a place or event later than others
3. An individual who fails to arrive at the set time and comes afterward

Etymology: "Latecomer" is a plain compound: "late" joined to "comer," someone who comes. "Late" is an old English word meaning slow or tardy, and "comer" is formed from the verb "come," so the pairing describes a person who comes after the expected moment. The compound follows the same pattern as other English words built from an adjective and an agent noun, such as "newcomer" and "incomer," which likewise describe who has arrived and when. The word's sense has moved in a small but telling way. "Late" originally carried the broader idea of what has come at the end of a sequence, and in the compound it now refers specifically to someone who misses a scheduled time. The noun names a habit of arrival rather than a single event, so a latecomer is defined by the gap between expectation and arrival.

Synonyms: arriver, straggler

Antonyms: earlycomer, pioneer