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

Temperatures to heat up in KC The recent stretch of cool, fall-like weather is coming to an end, as temperatures are expected to climb above average later this week. —Kansas City Star, 9 Sep. 2025

Advertisement The sweeping ban threatened to upend Facebook’s recent content monetization launch in Nepal, which could help Nepali creators earn money, and also threatened to impact other Nepali businesses that depend on social-media platforms. —Chad De Guzman, Time, 9 Sep. 2025

From delivering disaster relief during devastating recent floods to investing in food banks, the business’ presence extends far beyond its checkout lines. —Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 9 Sep. 2025

Research indicates that younger consumers, for example, experienced significantly higher inflation than older adults during 2021 during the most recent spike in inflation, according to Jeff Horwich, senior economics writer for the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. —Susan Tompor, USA Today, 9 Sep. 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