recent

adjective

re·​cent ˈrē-sᵊnt 

1

a

: having lately come into existence : new, fresh

b

: of or relating to a time not long past

2

capitalized : holocene

recentness noun

Examples of recent in a Sentence

Recent events have brought attention to the problem.

I usually watch that show every week, but I missed the most recent episode.

Medical science has made amazing progress in recent decades.

That was the biggest earthquake in recent history.

Recent Examples on the Web

Teams of a similar stature, such as Nottingham Forest, Bournemouth, Aston Villa, Brighton & Hove Albion and Brentford, have made significant progress, whereas West Ham look unrecognisable in comparison with their own recent highs. —Roshane Thomas, New York Times, 28 May 2025

The authority has been imposing consistent double-digit rate increases on local water agencies in recent years primarily because of declining demand. —David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 May 2025

But the cost of building new schools can range from $50 million to more than $100 million, based on recent contracts and estimates in South Florida school districts. —Scott Travis, Sun Sentinel, 27 May 2025

For comparison, Nvidia, a leader in the AI sector with over 80% average revenue growth in recent years, trades at a lower multiple of 50 times cash flow. —Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 27 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin recent-, recens; perhaps akin to Greek kainos new

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing recent

• of recent origin

Rhymes for recent

• decent
• puissant
• indecent

Kids Definition

recent

adjective

re·​cent ˈrēs-ᵊnt 

1

a

: of or relating to a time not long past

recent history

b

: having lately appeared or come into existence : new, fresh

recent events

2

capitalized : holocene

recently adverb

recentness noun