# Terminology for the deceased **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 13, 2005, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terminology-for-the-deceased/303686 "2005-05-13T15:03:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jsiegelm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3bc359/32.png) [@jsiegelm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsiegelm)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2005, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terminology-for-the-deceased/303686/1 "2005-05-13T15:03:16Z")
Where does the term “late” come from as it refers to the deceased, eg- “the late President Reagan…?” Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![mittu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecd19e/32.png) [@mittu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mittu)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2005, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terminology-for-the-deceased/303686/2 "2005-05-13T15:29:20Z")
> [@](#): > > The sense of “deceased” (as in the late Mrs. Smith) is from 1490, from an adv. sense of “recently.” Taken from [here](http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=late) . ---
**Author:** ![butler1850](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@butler1850](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/butler1850)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2005, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terminology-for-the-deceased/303686/3 "2005-05-13T15:54:15Z")
He just doesn’t seem to be able to make it to his appointments any more… he’s late. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2005, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terminology-for-the-deceased/303686/4 "2005-05-13T16:48:15Z")
“Late” is used to denote a person who was alive within recent memory. So we hear of the “late” Ronald Reagan, because he was still alive during the memory of most people. But it would be incorrect to refer to the “late” George Washington.