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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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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
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use presently in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for presently
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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