presently

adverb

pres·​ent·​ly ˈpre-zᵊnt-lē How to pronounce presently (audio)
1
a
archaic : at once
b
: without undue delay : before long
2
: at the present time : now
Usage of Presently

Both senses 1b and 2 are flourishing in current English, but many commentators have objected to sense 2. Since this sense has been in continuous use since the 15th century, it is not clear why it is objectionable. Perhaps a note in the Oxford English Dictionary (1909) that the sense has been obsolete since the 17th century in literary English is to blame, but the note goes on to observe that the sense is in regular use in most English dialects. The last citation in that dictionary is from a 1901 Leeds newspaper, written in Standard English. Sense 2 is most common in contexts relating to business and politics.

the fastest-rising welfare cost is Medicaid, presently paid by the states and cities William Safire

Examples of presently in a Sentence

I cannot attend to the matter this instant, but I will presently. we are presently waiting in line for our turn
Recent Examples on the Web Both companies are presently active in the acquisitions space, a market perpetually in need of independent players that can compete with streaming giants and legacy studios. Matt Donnelly, Variety, 8 Mar. 2024 Asserting yourself may presently provoke a disapproving response from an authority figure. Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 13 Feb. 2024 The group is presently on the road in Australia ahead of summer dates in Europe. Spin Staff, SPIN, 26 Feb. 2024 In the meantime, Nowell’s son Jakob was carving out his own musical career, first in Law and presently in Jakobs Castle. Daniel Kohn, SPIN, 16 Feb. 2024 Reining in our tempers may presently seem impossible. Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 14 Feb. 2024 There may be no way presently to know which picture is correct, but the difference warrants some reserve regarding the picture of boom. Milton Ezrati, Forbes, 12 Feb. 2024 But Musk’s own Boring Company, despite abandoning most projects and facing further problems, is now looking to expand a short tunnel system that presently connects two ends of the Las Vegas Convention Center with a subterranean track allowing Tesla chauffeurs to ferry riders back and forth. Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 4 Feb. 2024 Look for someone who's presently willing to nourish your new roots. Tarot Astrologers, Chicago Tribune, 28 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'presently.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of presently was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near presently

Cite this Entry

“Presently.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/presently. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

presently

adverb
pres·​ent·​ly ˈprez-ᵊnt-lē How to pronounce presently (audio)
1
archaic : at once
2
: before long : after a while
presently they arrived
3
: at the present time : now
she is presently working

More from Merriam-Webster on presently

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!