lately

American  

[layt-lee] / ˈleɪt li /

adverb

1. of late; recently; not long since.

   He has been very grouchy lately.

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lately British  

/ ˈleɪtlɪ /

adverb

1. in recent times; of late

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Etymology

Origin of lately

before 1000; Middle English latli; Old English lætlīce; see late, -ly

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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

See Examples For:

lately

What may help Ellison there is that Netflix isn’t looking so red-hot lately.

From Slate ● Oct. 16, 2026

The bond market has been volatile lately, as yields on safer Treasurys have jumped, sending bond prices lower.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 14, 2026

While Russian strikes on cargo ships docked in Ukrainian ports or close to the Ukrainian coast are common, strikes have also lately started hitting ships much closer to the coasts of Romania and Bulgaria.

From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 2026

Many of those companies have lately pivoted to AI, which promises more lucrative returns.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026

So lately what I did was just keep wearing the fuzzy green sweater.

From "Maybe He Just Likes You" by Barbara Dee

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