already

adverb

al·​ready ȯl-ˈre-dē 

ˈȯl-ˌre-dē

1

: prior to a specified or implied past, present, or future time : by this time : previously

He had already left when I called.

2

—used as an intensive

All right already.

Enough already!

Synonyms of already

• earlier
• ahead
• previously
• early
• before

Examples of already in a Sentence

They've already agreed to come.

I'd already left by the time you called.

He acted as if he didn't already know.

Flight 102 will already have taken off by the time Flight 101 lands.

Have they arrived already?! I'm still not dressed!

Do you have to go already?

Recent Examples on the Web

Fallon Henley, Jacy Jayne and Lainey Reid took the win, extending a run that already includes the Women's Tag Team Championships and a victory over Brie Bella and Paige at Saturday Night's Main Event on July 18. — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026

Firefighters are battling 10 large fires across that Washington State with more than 425,000 acres of land already burned this year, a state official said Saturday. — Martin Goillandeau, CNN Money, 2 Aug. 2026

The Dodgers are in first place in the NL West and were already the favorites to become the first team to three-peat since the New York Yankees from 1998-2000 before adding Skubal. — ABC News, 2 Aug. 2026

Allain Bougrain-Dubourg, president of France’s League for the Protection of Birds, told RMC radio that animals affected already numbered in the millions. — Thomas Adamson, Fortune, 1 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English al redy, from al redy, adjective, wholly ready, from al all + redy ready

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing already

• all right already

Rhymes for already

• unsteady
• heady
• ready
• reddi
• steady
• teddy
• thready

Kids Definition

already

adverb

al·​ready ȯl-ˈred-ē 

ˈȯl-ˌred-ē

: before a certain time : by the time

I had already left when you called