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

Aries March 21 – April 19 Tension presently shapes your most visible choices. —Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 12 Mar. 2026

The same is true however, for the Seattle Kraken, the last playoff qualifier in the West presently, as well as the San Jose Sharks and Nashville Predators, who are chasing Seattle along with the Kings. —Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 8 Mar. 2026

In an email exchange, Parsipur, who presently lives in exile in Northern California, expounded on her career, Iran and the recent developments there. —Marc Weingarten, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2026

Langan presently is serving a life sentence, post-operation, at a special needs women’s prison in Texas. —Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 3 Mar. 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