already

[ awl-red-ee ]

/ ɔlˈrɛd i /

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adverb

by this or that time; prior to or at some specified or implied time; previously: When we came in, we found they had already arrived.

now; so soon; so early: Is it noon already?

Informal. (used as an intensifier to express exasperation or impatience): Let's go already!

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of already

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English al redy “all ready”; what originally meant “completely (all) ready” and modified the subject (The porter all ready was there) was taken adverbially as modifying the predicate (The porter already was there, meaning “from an earlier time”)

words often confused with already

Although already and all ready are often indistinguishable in speech, the written forms have distinct meanings and uses. The phrase all ready means “entirely ready” or “prepared” ( I was all ready to leave on vacation ). Already means “previously” ( The plane had already left the airport ) or “so soon” ( Is it lunchtime already? ).

Words nearby already

alpinism, alpinist, alprazolam, Alps, al-Qaeda, already, alright, ALS, Alsace, Alsace-Lorraine, Alsatia

How to use already in a sentence

And yes, someone has already called Spencer a “Small Fry,” har har.
Freaking Out About Age Gaps in Gay Relationships Is Homophobic|Samantha Allen|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Merabet had already been immobilized by a bullet to the groin.
The Muslim Cop Killed by Terrorists|Michael Daly|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
For his part, Bratton is disappointed but not surprised that the same narrative is already being mapped onto Fry and Spencer.
Freaking Out About Age Gaps in Gay Relationships Is Homophobic|Samantha Allen|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Cassandra, whose hair has already begun to fall out from her court-mandated chemotherapy, could face a similar outcome.
Should Teens Have The Right To Die?|Brandy Zadrozny|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST

French officials were already on edge after a series of apparently unconnected attacks, including the stabbing of police officers.
U.S. Spies See Al Qaeda Fingerprints on Paris Massacre|Shane Harris, Nancy A. Youssef|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The big room at King's Warren Parsonage was already fairly well filled.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3)|Charles James Wills
Five of the number had studied with Liszt before, and the young men are artists already before the public.
Music-Study in Germany|Amy Fay
I want to see the sort of thing happening to schools that has already happened to many sorts of retail shops.
The Salvaging Of Civilisation|H. G. (Herbert George) Wells
Now what should college give the young citizen, male or female, upon the foundation of schooling we have already sketched out?
The Salvaging Of Civilisation|H. G. (Herbert George) Wells
This system, as already stated, became operative in most districts during June, 1915.
Readings in Money and Banking|Chester Arthur Phillips

British Dictionary definitions for already

already

/ (ɔːlˈrɛdɪ) /

adverb

by or before a stated or implied timehe is already here

at a time earlier than expectedis it ten o'clock already?

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

already

Origin of already

words often confused with already

Words nearby already

Words related to already

How to use already in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for already