recent

[ree-suhnt]

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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.

(initial capital letter) Geology. 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

Also called Holocene. (initial capital letter) Geology. the Recent Epoch or Series.

Origin of recent

1525–35; < Latin recent- (stem of recēns) fresh, new

Related formsre·cen·cy, re·cent·ness, nounre·cent·ly, adverbqua·si-re·cent, adjectivequa·si-re·cent·ly, adverb

Synonyms for recent

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1. fresh, new. See modern.

Antonyms for recent

1. early, old.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for recently

newly, latterly, lately, afresh, anew, new

Examples from the Web for recently

Contemporary Examples of recently

But he told me recently that Malia would do my impression of him to him.
Coffee Talk with Fred Armisen: On ‘Portlandia,’ Meeting Obama, and Taylor Swift’s Greatness
Marlow Stern
January 7, 2015
I just recently rewatched all six Star Wars movies the other day… Oh wow, from the beginning?
Patton Oswalt on Fighting Conservatives With Satire
William O’Connor
January 6, 2015
This is the Mexico that has been called a “failed state” — most recently by Jose “Pepe” Mujica, the president of Uruguay.
Why Mexicans Are Enraged by Obama’s Big Tuesday Meeting
Ruben Navarrette Jr.
January 6, 2015
Recently, historians have been working hard to write books that are more accessible.
Thank Congress, Not LBJ for Great Society
Julian Zelizer, Scott Porch
January 4, 2015
Antoine himself had recently been arrested on a six-year-old warrant for a dime bag of weed.
Ground Zero of the NYPD Slowdown
Batya Ungar-Sargon
January 1, 2015

Historical Examples of recently

There was Kekwick, and more recently poor McKinlay--all gone to their last account.
Explorations in Australia
John Forrest
A candle had recently been lighted, and it stood on the table near this man.
Way of the Lawless
Max Brand
All these, then recently installed, are mentioned by Rouquet.
De Libris: Prose and Verse
Austin Dobson
Recently so many things had arisen to distract her attention.
Her Father's Daughter
Gene Stratton-Porter
Hinde had recently been appointed editor of the Evening Herald.
The Foolish Lovers
St. John G. Ervine

British Dictionary definitions for recently

recent

adjective

having appeared, happened, or been made not long ago; modern, fresh, or new

Derived Formsrecently, adverbrecentness or recency, noun

Word Origin for recent

C16: from Latin recens fresh; related to Greek kainos new

Recent

adjective, noun

geology another word for Holocene

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for recently

recent

adj.

early 15c., from Latin recentem (nominative recens) "lately done or made, new, fresh, young," from re- (see re-) + PIE root *ken- "fresh, new, young" (cf. Greek kainos "new;" Sanskrit kanina- "young;" Old Irish cetu- "first;" Old Church Slavonic načino "to begin," koni "beginning"). Related: Recently; recentness (1670s, but OED reports recency (1610s) was "Common in 19th c.").

recently in Science

Recent

[rē′sənt]

See Holocene.