delayed appointment

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "delayed appointment" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when referring to an appointment that has been postponed or rescheduled to a later time. Example: "Due to unforeseen circumstances, we will need to reschedule your delayed appointment to next week."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

They are welcoming, generous spaces that would make a delayed appointment seem far more tolerable.

The Guardian - Arts

For a delayed appointment, the proportions of days late (in% with respect to the total number of days between two visits) were subtracted from 100.

BMC Public Health

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

But the length and extent of the current delayed appointments — reaching into the ranks of even relatively minor jobs — appear to be unprecedented, he said.

The New York Times

A manual chart review was carried out by MSF staff of all patients who had "delayed appointments".

Conflict and Health

However, by February 2008, the difference had shrunk to 0.5% and by March there were an equal percentage of delayed appointments.

BMJ Open

Recently in Quebec, Canada, several contextual elements (e.g. physician disengagement, delayed appointments and late vaccines) justified a review of how child vaccination services are offered.

BMC Health Services Research

However lack of empowerment was also a key theme: women passively accepted delayed appointments and typically did not challenge health professional misdiagnosis of early pregnancy symptoms.

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth

As Table 1 shows, there was a rise in delayed appointments in January 2008, approximately double that seen in January 2007, while the results from February and March showed no difference.

Conflict and Health

The tradition, which allows senators to delay appointments of citizens from their home counties, is a throwback to the earliest days of state government, when the Senate was the most powerful body.

The New York Times

"NHS vehicles are transporting patients to hospital for treatment and they don't want to be held up in traffic unnecessarily, delaying appointments for other patients and wasting taxpayer's money," he continued.

Independent

In May, the "Gang of 14" (seven senators from each party) cooked up a deal to avoid Republicans using the "nuclear option" (ie, getting rid of the filibuster technique that Democrats can use to delay appointments).

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "delayed appointment", ensure the context clearly indicates the reason for the delay if relevant, as this provides more complete information to the reader or listener.

Common error

Avoid using "delayed appointment" when the appointment was simply late or started late, without any rescheduling. Use it specifically when the appointment was postponed to a future time.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "delayed appointment" functions as a noun phrase, where "delayed" acts as an adjective modifying the noun "appointment". As Ludwig AI confirms, this usage is correct and readily understood in English.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Science

50%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "delayed appointment" is a grammatically sound and generally understood term that describes an appointment which has been postponed to a later time. As Ludwig AI explains, the phrase is correct and usable in written English. While relatively uncommon, its meaning is clear, and appropriate alternatives such as "postponed appointment" or "rescheduled appointment" may be used depending on the desired emphasis. Usage appears in both news and scientific contexts, suggesting a neutral register. When employing the phrase, ensure context clarifies the reason for the delay if necessary. Keep in mind that simply being late for an appointment is different than having a "delayed appointment", where the appointment gets rescheduled.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

postponed appointment

Replaces "delayed" with a direct synonym, maintaining the core meaning of an appointment moved to a later time.

rescheduled appointment

Focuses on the action of rescheduling, emphasizing the new timing of the appointment.

appointment postponed

A passive way to say that the appointment has been moved to a later date.

deferred appointment

A more formal alternative, suggesting the appointment has been put off to a later date.

put-off appointment

A less formal way of saying an appointment has been postponed.

appointment pushed back

Uses a phrasal verb to describe the delay, indicating a shift in the appointment's timing.

appointment held back

Suggests the appointment was kept from happening when it was originally supposed to occur.

retarded appointment

A less common term, implying a slowing down or hindering of the appointment's original schedule.

appointment put on hold

Indicates the appointment is temporarily suspended, with an implied possibility of rescheduling.

late appointment

This alternative is more generic and can refer to the appointment simply starting late.

FAQs

What's the difference between a delayed appointment and a "late appointment"?

A "delayed appointment" is rescheduled to a later time or date, while a "late appointment" starts later than its scheduled time but still occurs on the same day.

How can I use "delayed appointment" in a sentence?

You can say, "Due to unforeseen circumstances, your appointment has been delayed and rescheduled for next week", or "The patient experienced a "delayed appointment" because of the doctor's emergency surgery".

What are some alternatives to "delayed appointment"?

Alternatives include "postponed appointment", "rescheduled appointment", or "deferred appointment". The best choice depends on the specific context.

Is it appropriate to use "delayed appointment" in formal writing?

Yes, "delayed appointment" is appropriate for formal writing, especially in medical or professional contexts. More formal alternatives like "deferred appointment" could also be considered depending on the tone.