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

Mulholland agreed to those restrictions pending a hearing on his case that is scheduled for January 2027, according to the spokesperson, who also stated that Mulholland is not presently believed to be practicing with any patients. —Janelle Griffith, PEOPLE, 16 Apr. 2026

The site is presently vacant, Oswego Village Planner Jeff Lind told commissioners. —Linda Girardi, Chicago Tribune, 14 Apr. 2026

Forsberg, a Swede, is enjoying his moment in the sun presently. —Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 13 Apr. 2026

Beyond the rather low efficiency of today’s solar panels in converting the power of the sun into electricity, the transformational potential of solar energy is presently held back by battery storage technology. —Chelsea Haney april 10, New Atlas, 10 Apr. 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