recent

adjective

re·​cent ˈrē-sᵊnt 

1

a

: having lately come into existence : new, fresh

b

: of or relating to a time not long past

2

Recent : holocene

recentness noun

Examples of recent in a Sentence

Recent events have brought attention to the problem.

I usually watch that show every week, but I missed the most recent episode.

Medical science has made amazing progress in recent decades.

That was the biggest earthquake in recent history.

Recent Examples on the Web

The significant rise in purse sizes in recent years is also a factor. — Gabby Herzig, New York Times, 30 Aug. 2026

Iran is determined to smother any internal unrest Rezaei’s appointment came in a recent set of decrees by the supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, that formally set Iran’s new senior leadership, including top military posts. — Lee Keath, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2026

During my hands-on time with Silver Palace at AnimeNYC and throughout the recent beta, the action-RPG suffered frequent frame drops and occasional crashes. — Gabriel Zamora, PC Magazine, 29 Aug. 2026

Flags at Idaho state buildings will be flown at half-staff through much of next week after two separate orders to honor people who died in recent days. — Becca Savransky, Idaho Statesman, 29 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin recent-, recens; perhaps akin to Greek kainos new

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing recent

• of recent origin

Rhymes for recent

• decent
• puissant
• indecent

Kids Definition

recent

adjective

re·​cent ˈrēs-ᵊnt 

1

a

: of or relating to a time not long past

recent history

b

: having lately appeared or come into existence : new, fresh

recent events

2

capitalized : holocene

recently adverb

recentness noun