perhaps late

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "perhaps late" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when suggesting that something might happen or be true at a later time, often implying uncertainty about the timing. Example: "I will arrive at the meeting, but I may be perhaps late due to traffic."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

17 human-written examples

Perhaps late on a Friday, during the Olympics.

The New York Times

Perhaps late Wednesday or early Thursday morning — Mr. Sellal described it as a nighttime episode — the kidnappers attempted a breakout.

The New York Times

Slowly, perhaps late, frontrunners will emerge, and the field, which is dominated by "principle-ist" candidates, will thin.

The Guardian

Although the debate could continue into Saturday and even beyond, many observers here expect the Senate to come to a vote sometime today, perhaps late in the evening.

The New York Times

I expect that sellable price (ie the true market worth) to go down to £250,000 by perhaps late 2010 to late 2011.

The Guardian - Money

To make matters worse, the regulator has hinted that it intends to give two more licences to mobile operators, perhaps late next year.The lesson is that China's markets are rarely as good as they seem.

The Economist

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

43 human-written examples

Perhaps late-stage Alzheimer's is simply unimaginable to those not afflicted with it.

The New Yorker

Roger Jones: Perhaps late-17th century Japan, when Basho was writing and teaching.

Huffington Post

Perhaps late-replicating TRs have higher mutability due to the accumulation of single-stranded DNA that might occur within late-replicating regions (Stamatoyannopoulos et al. 2009) and/or the progressive reduction in DNA repair activities with replication timing (Chen et al. 2010).

Genome Biology and Evolution

"They're going to have elections sometime this summer, perhaps late summer," General Myers said.

The New York Times

Until design guidelines for individual buildings are issued, perhaps late next month, it will be impossible to judge where the master plan is heading.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "perhaps late" to express uncertainty about the timing of an event or arrival. It's suitable when you want to acknowledge the possibility of being delayed without making a firm commitment.

Common error

Avoid starting multiple sentences in a paragraph with "perhaps" as it can make your writing sound hesitant and repetitive. Vary your sentence structure by using alternatives like "possibly", "maybe", or rephrasing the sentence altogether.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "perhaps late" functions as an adverbial modifier, indicating a degree of uncertainty or possibility regarding the lateness of an event or action. Ludwig confirms its correct usage.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

70%

Science

15%

Encyclopedias

5%

Less common in

Wiki

3%

Formal & Business

3%

Reference

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "perhaps late" is a versatile phrase used to express uncertainty about timing, functioning as an adverbial modifier. According to Ludwig, it is grammatically correct. Its usage spans various contexts, with a prevalence in news and media. While slightly more formal than alternatives like "maybe late", it remains suitable for neutral to professional communication. When using "perhaps late", it is important to vary sentence structure to avoid sounding repetitive and manage expectations appropriately. A good approach is to consider alternative phrases like ""possibly delayed"" for slightly different shades of meaning.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

possibly delayed

Replaces "perhaps" with "possibly", indicating a similar level of uncertainty.

maybe tardy

Substitutes "perhaps" with "maybe" and "late" with "tardy", providing a slightly more formal tone.

potentially behind schedule

Offers a more descriptive alternative, emphasizing the impact on a schedule.

conceivably delayed

Replaces "perhaps" with "conceivably", suggesting a possibility but with a slightly lower probability.

imaginably tardy

Replaces "perhaps" with "imaginably", suggesting that it is possible to imagine but might be unlikely.

it might be late

Changes the structure to an independent clause using "might", expressing uncertainty.

it could be delayed

Uses "could" instead of "might", offering another common expression of possibility.

possibly at a later time

Expands on the phrase to explicitly state that the event or action is shifted to a later instance.

may be unpunctual

Formal substitution using "unpunctual", indicating a lack of punctuality.

liable to be behind time

A more verbose option that suggests lateness is probable due to circumstances.

FAQs

How can I use "perhaps late" in a sentence?

You can use "perhaps late" to indicate a possibility of being delayed. For example: "I will attend the meeting, but I may be "perhaps late" due to traffic."

What are some alternatives to saying "perhaps late"?

Alternatives include "possibly delayed", "maybe tardy", or "potentially behind schedule", depending on the context.

Is it more formal to say "perhaps late" or "maybe late"?

"Perhaps late" and "maybe late" are generally considered interchangeable in most contexts. However, "perhaps" is slightly more formal than "maybe".

What's the difference between "perhaps late" and "definitely late"?

"Perhaps late" suggests uncertainty about being late, while "definitely late" indicates certainty. One expresses a possibility, the other a fact.