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

• 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

Investor confidence is presently reflected in premium multiples (3x P/S), but with minimal cushion, a downturn could have a significant impact, particularly in contrast to competitors like WDC, which trades closer to 1x in challenging times. —Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025

As for the celebrities presently obsessed with the brand? —Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 25 June 2025

The Alzheimer's Association estimates that some 7.2 million Americans aged 65 and older are presently living with the disease. —Ian Randall, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 June 2025

Bornstein Seafoods came across the possible contamination during a routine sampling, has stopped the product distribution and is presently investigating the root cause. —Rachel Raposas, People.com, 12 June 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