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

Langan presently is serving a life sentence, post-operation, at a special needs women’s prison in Texas. —Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 3 Mar. 2026

Restock the tight end room The only tight end presently on Miami’s roster is Jalin Conyers, an undrafted player who missed all of his rookie season because of a foot injury, and two NFL journeymen. —Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 1 Mar. 2026

Please note that presently, state AGs are separately elected by voters in 43 of the 50 states. —Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 27 Feb. 2026

Another of Hunter’s admirers is Van Morrison, who’s handpicked him and his band, the James Hunter Six, to open his two shows at the Wang Theater March 3 and 4 — presently the only two shows either of them have scheduled in the US. —Brett Milano, Boston Herald, 27 Feb. 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