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

Recent : 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

Fighting appears to shift in Ukraine’s favor The correlation of forces in the war has shifted in recent months. —Hanna Arhirova, Chicago Tribune, 14 May 2026

During a recent experience, the eight mini games ranged from trivia to stacking foam blocks and from Nerf dart shooting to spinning a giant wheel for points. —Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 May 2026

How the Dallas Stars monopolized Texas youth hockey Private equity's intrusion into youth sports has garnered attention from federal lawmakers in recent months. —Kenny Jacoby, USA Today, 14 May 2026

Young vandals have been suspected in a slew of subway thefts in recent months. —Evan Simko-Bednarski, New York Daily News, 14 May 2026

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