recency

American  

[ree-suhn-see] / ˈri sən si /

Sometimes recentness

noun

1. the fact of being recent, of having occurred a relatively short time ago; closeness of a past event to a later past time or to the present.

   The general nervousness during that period was mostly due to the recency of the great stock market crash.

2. the fact of being more recent than something else and therefore more salient or memorable (often used attributively).

   The data might be showing recency effects—that is, choices presented later were more likely to be selected by participants.

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Etymology

Origin of recency

recen(t) ( def. ) + -cy ( def. )

Example Sentences

“I mean, if you can’t get excited about that … but obviously there’s a little more meaning to it, given the recency of our lives.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 4, 2026

A big reason to keep a brag book is to guard against recency bias.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 29, 2026

Becoming a student of financial-market history is helpful, though probably not enough to overcome recency bias.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 14, 2026

Over 120 of these studies were given priority based on sample size, recency, relevance and the range of health conditions they addressed.

From Science Daily • Dec. 12, 2025

Considering its raw material and the recency of its organisation, words can scarcely exaggerate the heroism of the resistance, which undoubtedly depended chiefly upon the personal military qualities of the leader.

From The Major Operations of the Navies in the War of American Independence by Mahan, A. T. (Alfred Thayer)