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

That’s because an ABS is presently being developed for the bike in collaboration with Bosch and Continental. —New Atlas, 28 Dec. 2025

Another two sacks would allow Chubb to make an additional $900,000, but that is all contingent on how the Dolphins, which are presently ranked 22nd in scoring defense, perform. —Miami Herald, 26 Dec. 2025

Its ranking on Rotten Tomatoes is presently a rotten 44 percent, compared to a 95 percent fresh rating for Chalamet film (audience scores won’t be posted until tonight or tomorrow. —Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 25 Dec. 2025

Hollywood presently fears that the billions waved by Netflix and the Ellisons might translate into fewer jobs, higher subscriber fees and movie theater closings. —Peter Bart, Deadline, 18 Dec. 2025

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