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.
See modern.
First recorded in 1525–35; from Latin recent- (stem of recēns ) “fresh, new”
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!
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Faster price increases in recent months have made inflation the top concern once again for many economists and policymakers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
A recent survey by the group showed that student participation and interest in exploring career pathways is increasing and the vast majority of participants said they found the experience valuable to their high school education.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026
The candidates vying for the seat include Shah, former state Senate President Troy Jackson and Maine’s Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, all of whom ran in the recent Democratic primary for governor.
From Salon ● Jul. 14, 2026
It remains endangered, with 178 mature horses in 2014, according to the most recent assessment from the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
Grimm’s fairy tales would have been suitable, given her recent experience in the German woods.
From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood
"DRC is one of the world's most complex humanitarian crises. Recent cuts in humanitarian funding have made the response even harder," he said.
From Barron's ● Jul. 9, 2026
Recent college grads are having a harder time finding employment than in previous years.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 9, 2026
Recent budget pressures mean more people rely on pawn loans to bridge the gap between paychecks, according to Jory.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026
Recent surveys have highlighted the dire situation facing the UK's seabirds, with the status of many breeding populations continuing to deteriorate.
From BBC ● Jul. 3, 2026
Recent surveillance of this zone had revealed the existence of more Earth cats, and I hoped one of them would know which of the local Humans had the best technology.
From "Klawde: Evil Alien Warlord Cat" by Johnny Marciano and Emily Chenoweth
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.
