tardiness

noun

tar·​di·​ness ˈtär-dē-nəs 

: 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

Synonyms of tardiness

• lateness

Examples of tardiness in a Sentence

habitual tardiness will be recorded in your personnel file

Recent Examples on the Web

Berkowitz also shared that Taylor’s greatest flaw was her notorious tardiness. — Rance Collins, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Sep. 2026

The star’s tardiness usually resulted from her elaborate glam process. — Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 25 Sep. 2026

Eckhart — who also appeared on Fox News and Fox Nation during her career — was fired from Fox in June 2020, in what the network said was due to tardiness, disclosure of a proprietary graphics package and misappropriation of company resources. — Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 21 Sep. 2026

Last school year, truancy and tardiness were the top two most prevalent infractions, per the presentation. — Molly Morrow, Chicago Tribune, 15 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1608, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for tardiness

• hardiness