adverb
-
in a short time; soon
-
in a few words; briefly
-
in a curt or rude manner
Etymology
Origin of shortly
First recorded before 900; Middle English schortly, Old English scortlīce; see short, -ly
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.
Shortly after it released the new data aimed at reassuring investors, Abivax set out to raise $600 million earlier this week.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 2, 2026
Shortly after Venezuela's twin quakes on Wednesday, a 6.9 magnitude tremor hit northern Japan, the country's weather agency said, with no casualties or material damage reported.
From Barron's • Jun. 25, 2026
Shortly after that, state legislators advanced Assembly Bill 3233, which reaffirmed city and county authority to regulate oil and gas activity.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 23, 2026
Shortly after 10 o'clock this morning Andy Burnham finally confirmed what had been obvious for days - that he would stand to be the next Labour leader and therefore the UK's next prime minister.
From BBC • Jun. 22, 2026
Shortly before 10 p.m., the commissioner of the Alabama Department of Corrections, the warden, and several other men wearing suits gestured to the visitation officer.
From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson
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.
