presently

adverb

pres·​ent·​ly ˈpre-zᵊnt-lē 

1

a

archaic : at once

b

: without undue delay : before long

2

: at the present time : now

Usage of Presently

Both senses 1b and 2 are flourishing in current English, but many commentators have objected to sense 2. Since this sense has been in continuous use since the 15th century, it is not clear why it is objectionable. Perhaps a note in the Oxford English Dictionary (1909) that the sense has been obsolete since the 17th century in literary English is to blame, but the note goes on to observe that the sense is in regular use in most English dialects. The last citation in that dictionary is from a 1901 Leeds newspaper, written in Standard English. Sense 2 is most common in contexts relating to business and politics.

the fastest-rising welfare cost is Medicaid, presently paid by the states and cities

—William Safire

Synonyms

• anon
• before long
• by and by
• directly
• momentarily
• shortly
• soon

Examples of presently in a Sentence

I cannot attend to the matter this instant, but I will presently.

we are presently waiting in line for our turn

Recent Examples on the Web

Several high-profile Catalan buzz titles are currently shooting or in post-production and are slated to debut later in the year, while others are presently kicking off promising festival runs. —Jamie Lang, Variety, 15 Feb. 2025

Of course, the school’s Business of Beauty and Fragrance program, developed by Associate Dean Meloney Moore in 2018 and presently chaired by Professor Dominica Baird, was particularly well-represented. —Hunter Lacey, Allure, 14 Feb. 2025

Bobby is the brother of Ryan Slowik, the Dolphins defensive backs and pass game specialist, and the son of Bob Slowik, a longtime NFL assistant coach who is presently the defensive coordinator for the Calgary Stampede in the CFL. —Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 12 Feb. 2025

These lead to different combinations—with H1N1 and H3N2 presently the most common subtypes in humans—and allow influenza A to mutate more often, which is why our bodies can struggle to recognize it and fight off an infection. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 11 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

presently

adverb

pres·​ent·​ly ˈprez-ᵊnt-lē 

1

archaic : at once

2

: before long : after a while

presently they arrived

3

: at the present time : now

she is presently working