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

Consumer sentiment fell more than 7 points from December 2018 to January 2019, coinciding with the most recent government shutdown, according to a Committee for Responsible Federal Budget analysis of University of Michigan survey data. —Max Zahn, ABC News, 30 Sep. 2025

This is the third time in recent weeks that pilots landed planes on San Diego County roads. —Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Sep. 2025

During his recent appearance on This Past Weekend, the Saturday Night Live alum predicted that Goggins will be the next star to face backlash after seeing a similar rise in attention as Pascal after his portrayal as Rick Hatchett in the recent installment of Mike White's acclaimed HBO series. —Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Sep. 2025

Both came in with a wealth of experience in creating running lanes with varied offensive line movement in their recent stops, and that has carried over in their first year with the Cowboys. —Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 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