Tardive

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Delayed in its occurrence or manifestation
2. Describing a syndrome or symptoms that appear after a notable interval
3. Happening after a significant lapse in time from an initial event ; relating to health issues that emerge following a delay

Etymology: The adjective "tardive" comes from French, where it means late or belated, and it reached English in the 19th century through medical and botanical writing. Its root is the Latin "tardivus," from "tardus," meaning slow or late, which also gave English "tardy." The Latin word is a sign of how old the idea of lateness is in the language, but the English usage is much newer and far more specialized. The word is most familiar today in the medical phrase "tardive dyskinesia," a movement disorder that can follow long-term use of certain antipsychotic drugs. The name points to the delay: the symptoms often appear only after months or years of treatment, rather than right away. The same sense of "coming late" was used earlier in other technical contexts, such as describing plants or fruits that ripen or flower later than their kin.

Synonyms: delayed, late, postponed

Antonyms: prompt, immediate, timely