already

adverb

al·​ready ȯl-ˈre-dē 

ˈȯl-ˌre-dē

1

: prior to a specified or implied past, present, or future time : by this time : previously

He had already left when I called.

2

—used as an intensive

All right already.

Enough already!

Synonyms

• afore [chiefly dialect]
• ahead
• antecedently
• anteriorly
• before
• beforehand
• earlier
• formerly
• preliminarily
• previously

Examples of already in a Sentence

They've already agreed to come.

I'd already left by the time you called.

He acted as if he didn't already know.

Flight 102 will already have taken off by the time Flight 101 lands.

Have they arrived already?! I'm still not dressed!

Do you have to go already?

Recent Examples on the Web

Complete sets of the toys are already being hawked on eBay, starting at about $50. —Mike Snider, USA Today, 14 May 2025

Rather than devising a new name for the service, executives decided that the best name for the new outlet would simply be the one the company already has. —Brian Steinberg, Variety, 13 May 2025

And Christen already has the next step on her radar. —Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 13 May 2025

If Williamson sticks around, New Orleans already has several building blocks in place for a team that could make noise in the West if a few things go their way. —William Guillory, New York Times, 13 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English al redy, from al redy, adjective, wholly ready, from al all + redy ready

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing already

• all right already

Rhymes for already

• unsteady
• heady
• ready
• reddi
• steady
• teddy
• thready

Kids Definition

already

adverb

al·​ready ȯl-ˈred-ē 

ˈȯl-ˌred-ē

: before a certain time : by the time

I had already left when you called