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

The police have already arrested the Defense Minister, the chief of the National Police, the head of the Metropolitan Police and the military counterintelligence commander for collaborating in the insurrection. —Joohee Cho, ABC News, 14 Dec. 2024

It’s already accumulated more than 17 million streams on Spotify. —Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 14 Dec. 2024

December 14 Update: Apple’s iPhone Air Confirmed In New Leak Work on the iPhone 17 Air is already underway, according to a Digitimes report claiming that Apple’s super-slim smartphone has entered the New Product Introduction (NPI) process at maker Foxconn. —Paul Monckton, Forbes, 14 Dec. 2024

City had already started to turn the tide in derbies before Guardiola arrived, with at least four truly memorable victories under Roberto Mancini (6-1 away and 1-0 at home in 2011-12) and Manuel Pellegrini (4-1 at home, 3-0 away in 2013-14). —Sam Lee, The Athletic, 14 Dec. 2024

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

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