late one day

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "late one day" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to indicate that something is delayed or not completed within the expected timeframe, specifically referring to a single day. Example: "I apologize for submitting the report late one day; I had unexpected personal issues to attend to."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

7 human-written examples

Late one day, heavily armed soldiers appeared inside the compound and cordoned off a large area.

The New Yorker

Gulumbu Yunupingu came to painting relatively late, one day finding herself compelled to retell her family's traditional stories of the Milky Way.

The Guardian - Arts

"You work for a teammate who is older and more experienced," Victor Hugo Peña told me late one day between stages of the Dauphiné.

The New Yorker

Perez arrived at early batting practice 15 minutes late one day, angering veterans, but Valentine acknowledged that Perez had never been told the team rule that early hitting must be done on time for nonregular players.

The New York Times - Sports

"If your boss said to you, 'You were late one day this month so we're not going to pay you for the whole month,' is that fair?" asked Mary Myer, whose son, Mitchell, was not accused of cheating.

The New York Times

Then, when I was running late one day, they appeared from behind some bushes.

Vice

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

51 human-written examples

Late one Tuesday evening, Joe Ednie sat on a stack of TV supplements from France-Amérique, a New York-based French publication, and surveyed the buzz of activity in the loading dock of Stellar Printing in Long Island City, Queens.

The New York Times

I caught up with them late one Saturday afternoon as they were reclining on the Wards Island side of the bridge, sipping malt liquor and contemplating the perspective.

The New York Times - Arts

His nurse on the medical floor where he was transferred late one Friday was already assigned to six others scattered down a 100-foot-long hallway.

The New York Times - Health

(Such a difference from some of the occupants of this space after Citrus...there was Alex, named for a British chef, and Meson G, whose two callow owners fired their brilliant chef E.G. late one Saturday evening because he was spending too much on good ingredients, and then the abomination called Red Pearl).

Huffington Post

Late one Friday evening, I joined an intensive-care-unit team on night duty.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "late one day", ensure the context clearly establishes what is being referred to as "late". For example, specify whether it's a payment, a delivery, or an arrival that is delayed.

Common error

Avoid using "late one day" when a more precise time frame is available. For example, instead of saying "the report was late one day", consider "the report was submitted 24 hours after the deadline" to enhance clarity.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "late one day" functions as an adverbial modifier, indicating the extent of the delay. It specifies that something is delayed by a single day. Ludwig examples show its use in various contexts, such as describing the lateness of a report submission or an arrival.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Science

30%

Formal & Business

5%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "late one day" is a grammatically correct phrase used to indicate a delay of a single day. As Ludwig AI confirms, the expression is appropriate for use in written English. The phrase appears mostly in news and media and scientific contexts. While there exist more common phrases to convey similar meaning, the phrase is perfectly acceptable. Bear in mind, the best usage of the phrase is for context where you want to highlight and clarify the time frame for the delay.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

the following day

Indicates the day immediately after the current or specified day.

delayed by a day

Focuses specifically on the fact that something is postponed for a 24-hour period.

one day past the deadline

Explicitly states that a deadline has been missed by one day.

one day behind schedule

Emphasizes that a task or event is lagging behind its intended timeline by a single day.

a day later than expected

Highlights the discrepancy between the anticipated and actual timing.

twenty-four hours later

Specifies the exact time frame of the delay.

subsequently one day

Implies that something happened the day following another event.

belatedly one day

Suggests that something is delayed and possibly not on purpose or because of negligence.

tardy by a day

Denotes lateness, and tardiness referring to a delay in arriving on time.

one day afterward

Refers to a period of 24 hours after a previous event.

FAQs

How can I use "late one day" in a sentence?

You can use "late one day" to indicate that something is delayed by a single day. For instance, "I submitted the application "late one day" due to technical issues".

What's a simple alternative to "late one day"?

A straightforward alternative to "late one day" is "delayed by a day", which is a concise and clear way to express the same idea.

Is it better to say "late one day" or "one day late"?

Both "late one day" and "one day late" are acceptable, but "one day late" might be more commonly used and easily understood. The choice depends on the specific context and desired emphasis.

Can "late one day" imply a more significant delay than just a single day?

No, "late one day" specifically indicates a delay of 24 hours. If the delay is longer, use phrases like "several days late" or "a week behind schedule" for accuracy.