tardiness

noun

tar·​di·​ness ˈtär-dē-nəs How to pronounce tardiness (audio)
: the quality or state of being tardy or late
Students might be sent to Saturday school for any of various infractions, such as tardiness, truancy, smoking, failure to deliver class-work, or creating a disturbance.Anne H. Soukhanov
What you really need is a story that will not only excuse tardiness but encourage your boss to give you the entire day off.Jeff Foxworthy
His habitual tardiness got him fired from job after job, yet he couldn't see the consequences of his actions.June Kinoshita

Examples of tardiness in a Sentence

habitual tardiness will be recorded in your personnel file
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
That means the leaders set the standard for the team, and police things like penalties and tardiness. Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 27 July 2025 Organizers of the event have since taken responsibility for the tardiness, but in case anyone is still confused, Hill has now shared a firm statement on Instagram, thanking the festival for speaking up and outlining her hands-on approach to live performances. Shania Russell, EW.com, 9 July 2025 My understanding is the tardiness issue is a specific group of repeat offenders, not a widespread group of random offenders. Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 25 June 2025 With plenty of chatter surrounding her tardiness, the Fugees legend set the record straight with a lengthy statement clearing the air on Tuesday (July 8). Michael Saponara, Billboard, 9 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for tardiness

Word History

First Known Use

1608, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tardiness was in 1608

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Cite this Entry

“Tardiness.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tardiness. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.

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