presently

adverb pres·ent·ly \ ˈpre-zᵊnt-lē \

Updated on: 14 Apr 2018

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

Ironically, or not, Fede was part of former Dolphins General Manager Dennis Hickey’s first draft class, and Hickey is one of many former Dolphins executives and scouts who presently work for the Bills.

— omar kelly, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Bills sign former Dolphins defensive end Terrence Fede," 4 Apr. 2018
King also held that even those presently involved in the underground economy or in gangs could become vital partners.

— time staff, Time, "10 Historians on What People Still Don't Know About Martin Luther King Jr.," 4 Apr. 2018
Information, including misinformation, is presently being circulated through social media regarding recent student and staff actions at Grace Jordan Elementary School.

— michael katz and christina lords, idahostatesman, "Boise mom says 11-year-old attempted suicide due to bullying, school district responds," 19 Mar. 2018
Teams of researchers in both the U.S. and Canada are presently in the years-long process of doing a grand reset of Great Lakes levels to account for the changes — the third such reset since 1955, required every 25 to 35 years.

— keith matheny, Detroit Free Press, "Great Lakes still impacted by Ice Age phenomenon," 2 Mar. 2018
As Madison pointed out, diversity, as far as Hollywood is presently concerned, is in vogue at the moment.

— jason parham, WIRED, "The Ryan Coogler Effect: What Black Panther's Success Means for Black Directors," 23 Mar. 2018
Tannehill presently has a 37-40 record as an NFL starter, and has never played in a postseason game.

— omar kelly, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Dolphins hosting quarterback Brock Osweiler on a free agent visit," 22 Mar. 2018
At least presently, there's no lock for the No. 1 position.

— charlie hatch, Cincinnati.com, "Goalkeeper Evan Newton impresses in FC Cincinnati debut, a 1-0 win over Charleston Battery," 22 Mar. 2018
Ellis said a test flight is presently planned for late 2020, with commercial launches beginning in 2021.

— eric berger, Ars Technica, "Relativity Space reveals its ambitions with big NASA deal," 21 Mar. 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.