recent
adjective
of late occurrence, appearance, or origin; lately happening, done, made, etc..
recent
American
[ree-suhnt]
/ ˈri sənt /
adjective
-
of late occurrence, appearance, or origin; lately happening, done, made, etc..
recent events; a recent trip.
-
not long past.
in recent years.
-
of or belonging to a time not long past.
-
Geology. Recent. noting or pertaining to the present epoch, originating at the end of the glacial period, about 10,000 years ago, and forming the latter half of the Quaternary Period; Holocene.
noun
Recent
1
British
/ ˈriːsənt /
adjective
recent
2
British
/ ˈriːsənt /
adjective
Recent
Scientific
/ rē′sənt /
Synonym Usage
See modern.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of recent
First recorded in 1525–35; from Latin recent- (stem of recēns ) “fresh, new”
Explanation
If something is recent, it happened in the immediate past or not long ago. You are a recent fan of yoga if you just started liking it in the past week or two. If you talk about something that happened in recent months or years, it means the last one to three months or years. Otherwise, recent means new or just happened. It’s particularly useful when you don’t know exactly when something happened, but you know it wasn’t long ago. Perhaps you have been a recent guest star on a show, and your recent movies have been very successful. You know it wasn’t long ago at all and you are still a star!
Vocabulary lists containing recent
"Magic Island," Vocabulary from the poem
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Cormac McCarthy's "The Road"
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Workshop 5, Part 1
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
A recent example: my daily brief included a note about an upcoming interview with an automotive expert, pulled from my email correspondence with him.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
The recent discussions around Kurdish security were part of larger conversations between the US, the Iraqi government and KRG over the upcoming troop withdrawal.
From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026
Fans gathered at the park in recent days to pay tribute to Parton, dropping off flowers, candles and balloons.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 28, 2026
He conspicuously played down signs of disinflation in recent months by noting evidence that prices for too many goods continue to rise too quickly.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
The recent snow had melted, but the air was cold and the ground was slick with mud.
From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood
Recent data on the enforcement amounts are not publicly available, but a 2021 report shows aggregated collections of about $700 million a year, while Medicaid’s annual total spending is close to $1 trillion.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 25, 2026
Recent attempts to limit California’s oversight actions haven’t been successful.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2026
Recent photos show that the Alca-do is getting to be soccer midfielder long, but there is always the hazard of an Alcaraz sibling showing up at the last minute with scissors and bad ideas.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
Recent polling inside Russia, including by the Public Opinion Foundation, suggest that anxiety in society is rising.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
Recent events have the house rocking on its foundations.
From "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank
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.
