timely

[ tahym-lee ]
See synonyms for: timelytimeliertimeliness on Thesaurus.com

adjective,time·li·er, time·li·est.
  1. occurring at a suitable time; opportune; well-timed: Our priority is to identify threats against the U.S. and provide accurate, timely warnings.

  2. occurring within an expected time frame;prompt: To ensure timely delivery, orders with multiple products may ship separately.

  1. Archaic. early.

adverb
  1. seasonably; opportunely.

  2. Archaic. early or soon.

Origin of timely

1
First recorded before 1000; Middle English tim(e)liche, Old English tīmlīce (adverb); see time, -ly

synonym study For timely

1. See opportune.

Other words from timely

  • time·li·ness, noun
  • pre·time·ly, adjective

Words Nearby timely

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use timely in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for timely

timely

/ (ˈtaɪmlɪ) /


adjective, adverb-lier or -liest
  1. at the right or an opportune or appropriate time

  2. an archaic word for early

Derived forms of timely

  • timeliness, noun

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