tardía

Tardía is a Spanish noun that denotes the quality or state of being late or delayed. It derives from the Latin tardus, meaning late. In everyday use, tardía refers to lateness in time or delays in completing an action, such as the tardía llegada de aires o la tardía entrega de resultados. It is often interchangeable with terms like demora, retraso, or atraso, though tardía can emphasize the punctuality aspect of an event being late.

In more formal or technical contexts, tardía appears in phrases that describe delayed processes or developmental milestones. For example, tardía del desarrollo can refer to delayed maturation, and tardía puberal to late onset of puberty. In medical or scientific writing, the term is typically understood in relation to a delay rather than the duration of the delay, with retardo or retraso as common alternatives.

Tardía is a feminine noun, and its plural tardías is possible but less commonly used; it is more frequent to encounter the singular form with a qualifying noun (tardía en la entrega, tardía llegada). Antonyms include puntualidad and prontitud, while related concepts include demora, retraso, and tardanza.

Overall, tardía serves as a concise way to express lateness or delay across everyday language and certain professional contexts, while its precise nuance depends on the surrounding terms and field of use.