promptly

adverb

prompt·​ly ˈpräm(p)t-lē How to pronounce promptly (audio)
ˈpräm-plē
1
: in a prompt manner : without delay : very quickly or immediately
I'm going to speak French again, something I learned in school and promptly forgot.Deanna Pai
Treatment is promptly resumed until the virus is suppressed again, and then stopped to see if the patient's immune system is able to keep the viral levels in check.Joan Stephenson
2
: exactly at a particular time or the correct time
She arrived promptly at 7:00 p.m. as we had agreed.

Examples of promptly in a Sentence

shipped the package promptly so that it would arrive on time
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Last Tuesday, reliever Brock Stewart, their lone bullpen acquisition at the trade deadline, recorded a hold with one scoreless inning against the Blue Jays and promptly went on the IL with shoulder inflammation. Bill Madden, New York Daily News, 16 Aug. 2025 On the second play, Stidham rolled out and found Engram on a drag — and the free-agent tight end promptly went galloping down the right sideline for 58 yards. Luca Evans, Denver Post, 16 Aug. 2025 As scientists predict that the country could become uninhabitable by 2050 due to rising sea levels, these unsettling images offer a preview of what that future may hold if the climate crisis isn’t promptly addressed. Emily Scolnick, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2025 Díaz admitted that catcher Francisco Álvarez called for a fastball, but the veteran closer shook him off and went to the slider instead, which promptly turned into a game-ending decision. Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for promptly

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of promptly was in the 15th century

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Cite this Entry

“Promptly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/promptly. Accessed 19 Aug. 2025.

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