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

So the new overnight climate control system could even surpass that of pure EV camping, delivering another strong argument in favor of plug-in hybrids presently being the best powertrain solution for efficient, comfortable and capable camper vans and motorhomes. — New Atlas, 26 June 2026

The device aims to compete with traditional game consoles like Microsoft’s Xbox and Sony’s PlayStation, which presently sell for $600 and up and are equally subject to the global component shortages that have lately bedeviled consumer electronics companies. — Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 23 June 2026

As presently blueprinted by NASA, the International Space Station will be de-orbited via a series of actions. — Leonard David, Space.com, 23 June 2026

To bring about such an amendment, as shall presently be seen, is not an involved matter. — Orlando Sentinel Staff, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 June 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