0 said when you think that it is better for someone or something to be late than never to arrive or to happen
1 it is better for someone to arrive or do something late than not to arrive or do it at all:
Well, better late than never, but where on earth have our colleagues been all this time?
The agreement that has been reached is to be welcomed, but on the basis of "better late than never".
But better late than never, and any move to ensure that single and enforceable decisions on overall policy can be taken is a good move.
But better late than never, and we must even now do what we can to look further ahead.
Perhaps it is a case of better late than never—or even, better never late.
Certainly, better late than never is far preferable to too little too late.
I give it one small half-cheer, on a "better late than never" basis.
A government amendment that is needed is better late than never and one should never say anything which discourages governments from acting on that assumption.
