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.
The PCAOB’s independence rules, established in 2003, use 1980s and ’90s standards and conflict with some recent SEC rules.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026
The settlement that was announced Monday between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni looked like the end of one of Hollywood’s messiest recent legal fights.
From Los Angeles Times • May 7, 2026
Meanwhile, recent BBC One series Secret Garden saw Sir David examine the hidden worlds and wildlife thriving in British gardens.
From BBC • May 7, 2026
The recent move underscores differences in the service offered by Delta versus other major domestic carriers.
From Salon • May 7, 2026
As they toured villages, Vann pointed out buildings damaged in recent Viet Cong attacks.
From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin
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.
