presently

adverb pres·ent·ly \ ˈpre-zᵊnt-lē \

|Updated on: 17 Aug 2018

Usage guide: Usage of presently

Examples: presently in a Sentence

Definition of presently

1 a archaic : at once

b : without undue delay : before long

2 : at the present time : now

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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

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 of presently from the Web

The Cardinals presently have nine cornerbacks under contract, but they were believed to have interest in both Beal and Alexander, who are seen as NFL-ready prospects capable of making an immediate impact as rookies.

— bob mcmanaman, azcentral, "Two players get selected in NFL supplemental draft, but Cardinals don't get involved," 11 July 2018
Still, as a draw for out-of-state students presently paying their own tuition and as a sport conducive to gender equity considerations, ice hockey would seem to occupy a niche worth nurturing at U of L.

— tim sullivan, The Courier-Journal, "Ice hockey on campus? University of Louisville has 'preliminary' chat," 10 July 2018
Jack's family, along with Kathy Ultreras, is presently in the process of posting his bond.

— j. brady mccollough, latimes.com, "Ex-USC football player Jack Jones arrested, charged with breaking into Panda Express at 3 a.m.," 9 June 2018
But the Heat aren’t a contender as presently set up.

— dave hyde, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Hyde5: Would Carmelo Anthony really help the Heat?," 9 July 2018
MoviePass’s system presently consists of two parts: an app and a debit card.

— alissa wilkinson, Vox, "Why MoviePass is the future — even if it doesn’t survive," 6 July 2018
Buick's position between volume and luxury presently gives it a competitive edge, said David Sargent, vice president J.D. Power's global automotive in Los Angeles.

— jamie l. lareau, Detroit Free Press, "The GM brand that nearly died and the unlikely buyers saving it," 27 June 2018
The other Jim Gaffigan is a classical music conductor, presently for the Lucerne Symphony Orchestra.

— CBS News, "Jim Gaffigan on that other Jim Gaffigan," 1 July 2018
Of that group, more than 230 children presently are receiving schooling, medical and mental-health care at the East Harlem location of the nonprofit Cayuga Centers.

— melanie grayce west and katie honan, WSJ, "New York City Mayor Calls for Details on Locations of Migrant Children Separated From Parents," 20 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'presently.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.