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.
Lately, AI is putting the quest on steroids, with people pumping chatbots for moneymaking hacks and using content generators to rapidly churn out videos, books and other media they hope to monetize online.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 25, 2026
Lately, I’ve come to prefer Jackman as a showman over a savage.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 18, 2026
Lately, SpaceX seems to be the only stock that retail investors care about.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 17, 2026
Lately, the helpline has been gaining more traction.
From Slate • Jun. 15, 2026
Lately I’d rarely felt touched by Father’s enthusiasm, and never by God.
From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver
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.
