newly
Americanadverb
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recently; lately.
a newly married couple.
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anew or afresh.
a newly repeated slander.
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in a new manner or form.
a room newly decorated.
adverb
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recently; lately or just
a newly built shelf
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again; afresh; anew
newly raised hopes
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in a new manner; differently
a newly arranged room
Etymology
Origin of newly
before 900; Middle English; Old English nīwlice. See new, -ly
Explanation
When you describe something as newly happening, it just occurred. A newly hatched chick is barely out of it shell, and a newly arrived classmate just joined your class recently. If you just bought your enormous TV yesterday, you can call it newly acquired, and if your favorite movie finally came out on DVD this weekend, it's newly released. Doing something over again — or as if for the first time — can also be described this way, like when your newly single uncle goes on a blind date. Newly comes from new, with its Old English root neowe, "new, fresh, or recent."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Newly built homes, however, are embracing multigenerational living.
From MarketWatch • May 9, 2026
Newly reactivated jets from the black hole are pushing outward, only to be distorted and compressed by the intense pressure of the massive galaxy cluster surrounding it.
From Science Daily • Apr. 13, 2026
Newly discovered gold mines, he explained, go public, attracting speculative investors.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 12, 2026
Newly published footage, shared by pro-government local media and confirmed by BBC Verify, shows that a small primary school which is located next to the sports hall was also damaged.
From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026
Newly appointed Minister of Magic, Rufus Scrimgeour, spoke today of the tough new measures taken by his Ministry to ensure the safety of students returning to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry this autumn.
From "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
