presently

[ prez-uhnt-lee ]

/ ˈprɛz ənt li /

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adverb

in a little while; soon: They will be here presently.

at the present time; now: He is presently out of the country.

Archaic. immediately.

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OTHER WORDS FOR presently

1 shortly, forthwith.

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OPPOSITES FOR presently

1 later.

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CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

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Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of presently

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at present¹, -ly

synonym study for presently

1. See immediately

usage note for presently

The two apparently contradictory meanings of presently, “in a little while, soon” and “at the present time, now,” are both old in the language. In the latter meaning presently dates back to the 15th century. It is currently in standard use in all varieties of speech and writing in both Great Britain and the United States. The sense “soon” arose gradually during the 16th century. Strangely, it is the older sense “now” that is sometimes objected to by usage guides. The two senses are rarely if ever confused in actual practice. Presently meaning “now” is most often used with the present tense ( The professor is presently on sabbatical leave ) and presently meaning “soon” often with the future tense ( The supervisor will be back presently ). The semantic development of presently parallels that of anon, which first had the meaning, now archaic, of “at once, immediately,” but later came to mean “soon.”

Words nearby presently

presenter, presentient, presentiment, presentist, presentive, presently, presentment, present participle, present perfect, present progressive, presents

How to use presently in a sentence

He is presently working on Meet the Neighbors, a book about what understanding the minds of animals means for human relations to wild animals and to nature.
Octopuses Find New Hunting Buddies - Issue 95: Escape|Brandon Keim|January 28, 2021|Nautilus
The new laws propose allowing farmers to enter into contracts to sell their output directly to private players, bypassing the government-regulated markets, or mandis, where produce sales presently take place.
Reliance has no plans to shake up farming in India—apart from building a grocery empire|Niharika Sharma|January 19, 2021|Quartz
There is a third group that presently seems to be 15% to 25% that is unlikely to ever come back to a facility to meet their fitness needs.
What another lockdown means for January gym sales|Rachel King|December 28, 2020|Fortune
With agencies culling staff to manage the financial difficulties that have come due to the coronavirus crisis, there are fewer people on staff who are presently managing the work of multiple positions.
‘It’s all in the name of profit’: Confessions of a media buyer on short-staffed burnout during the pandemic|Kristina Monllos|December 3, 2020|Digiday

The Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center does not presently predict severe thunderstorms in the region.
Heavy rain and isolated flooding forecast for Washington region Wednesday into Thursday|Jeffrey Halverson, Jason Samenow|November 10, 2020|Washington Post
However, he has no plans presently to return to Russia to find out.
The ‘Hunted’ Gays of Putin’s Russia: Vicious Vigilantes and State Bigotry Close Up|Tim Teeman|October 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
One thing led to another, and they were presently on a couch in his library.
The Stacks: H.L. Mencken on the 1904 Baltimore Fire|H.L. Mencken|October 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The use of the F-22 over Syria presently is easily feasible and extremely logical.
First U.S. Stealth Jet Attack on Syria Cost More Than Indian Mission to Mars|Dave Majumdar|September 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In fairness, laws presently on the books allow Pennsylvania legislators to take gifts legally.
The Media's Selective Political Scandal Addiction|Ron Christie|April 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Presently Louis rose with a nod to us and offered his arm to Constance, and they strolled away along the river wall.
Read ‘The King in Yellow,’ the ‘True Detective’ Reference That’s the Key to the Show|Robert W. Chambers|February 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It wasn't far, so we kept on, and presently it developed that we had accidentally come upon old Piegan Smith.
Raw Gold|Bertrand W. Sinclair
Presently he began to shiver so, with some sort of a chill, that I took off my coat and wrapped it round him.
The Boarded-Up House|Augusta Huiell Seaman
Presently there was a clattering of hoofs behind him, and Ribsy came galloping along the road, with nothing on him but his collar.
Davy and The Goblin|Charles E. Carryl
It is impossible to believe that thus far it is anything but a sketch and intimation of what it will presently be.
The Salvaging Of Civilisation|H. G. (Herbert George) Wells
The friends were standing close to the wall; but on these sounds they moved away; and a key presently turned in the door.
The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4|Jane Porter

British Dictionary definitions for presently

presently

/ (ˈprɛzəntlɪ) /

adverb

in a short while; soon

at the moment

an archaic word for immediately

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

presently

COMPARE MEANINGS

OTHER WORDS FOR presently

OPPOSITES FOR presently

Origin of presently

synonym study for presently

usage note for presently

Words nearby presently

Words related to presently

How to use presently in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for presently