noun, noun or participle which takes 'suru', intransitive verb
lateness; tardiness; arriving late
Commonly used for being late to school, work, appointments, or meetings. Often used with する to mean 'to be late'.
遅刻しないように早く家を出た。
I left home early so I wouldn't be late.
彼はまた遅刻した。
He was late again.
Standard kanji spelling; high priority.
遅れる is a general verb for 'to be late' or 'to fall behind', while 遅刻 is specifically about being late for a scheduled time or event.
From 遅 (chi, 'late') + 刻 (koku, 'time'). The kanji combination directly conveys the meaning of being late for a set time.