lately
Americanadverb
adverb
Etymology
Origin of lately
before 1000; Middle English latli; Old English lætlīce; see late, -ly
Explanation
Something that happened lately occurred very recently. If you've spotted a fox every day for the last week, you might say, "I've seen so many foxes lately!" If your friend says, "I've been really stressed out lately," she means she's been overworked and tense for the past few days, weeks, or possibly months. Lately is an adverb that covers the immediate past, a period of time that wasn't too long ago. A more old-fashioned way to say lately is "of late." Though this word has had its current meaning since the fifteenth century, it originally meant "slow or sluggish."
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.
Further complicating the Fed decision, oil prices have surged this month, with crude lately fetching over $99 a barrel in Friday New York trading, versus $85.76 at the end of August.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026
One of its brightest colors is fuschia, a hue that Ruiz says Rosales has been obsessed with lately.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
The league has, lately, started to grow up in public.
From Salon ● Sep. 9, 2026
But lately, they’ve been packing a limited punch.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 4, 2026
“You haven’t found any wallets lately, have you? Or gotten any rewards?”
From "Millionaires for the Month" by Stacey McAnulty
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.
