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 of presently

• 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

This ancient city, which is presently on the tentative list for future inclusion in UNESCO’s World Heritage Site program, was a fascinating place to witness the many layers of history that intersect along the Aegean coast. —Paul Brady, Travel + Leisure, 15 May 2026

There are presently 500 coffee houses in 38 states with several in Northwest Indiana, including Merrillville, Dyer, Valparaiso and Crown Point. —Deborah Laverty, Chicago Tribune, 14 May 2026

On the flip side, the Mets have the highest payroll in the game and presently have the worst record in baseball. —Jim Bowden, New York Times, 13 May 2026

The company presently has about 200 employees and has raised $330 million to date. —Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 13 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

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

Rhymes for presently

• pleasantly
• unpleasantly

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