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!
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
Disagreements among the cardinals have already emerged in the media.
—
John Bacon, USA Today, 2 May 2025
Consumers are already starting to notice costs rising from Trump’s tariff strategy, which has been all over the map: adding some here, delaying them there, canceling them here, upping them there.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 2 May 2025
Upcoming locations include: Texas: Houston and Fort Worth (K–8)
Florida: Orlando, Tampa, and Palm Beach (K–8)
Arizona: Phoenix (K–8)
California: Santa Barbara (K–12)
New York: New York City (K–8)
Applications are already open for many of these sites.
—Jasmine Baehr, FOXNews.com, 2 May 2025
Related Story Universal Standard, which recently launched in Nordstrom, is already feeling pressure from Trump’s tariffs.
—Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 1 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for already
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John Bacon, USA Today, 2 May 2025
Consumers are already starting to notice costs rising from Trump’s tariff strategy, which has been all over the map: adding some here, delaying them there, canceling them here, upping them there.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 2 May 2025
Upcoming locations include: Texas: Houston and Fort Worth (K–8)
Florida: Orlando, Tampa, and Palm Beach (K–8)
Arizona: Phoenix (K–8)
California: Santa Barbara (K–12)
New York: New York City (K–8)
Applications are already open for many of these sites.
—Jasmine Baehr, FOXNews.com, 2 May 2025
Related Story Universal Standard, which recently launched in Nordstrom, is already feeling pressure from Trump’s tariffs.
—Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 1 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for already
Cite this Entry
“Already.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/already. Accessed 7 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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