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

Taylor Swift’s Wide-Leg Jeans Wide-leg jeans have been trending among A-listers in recent years, and a stylist recently confirmed to PEOPLE that the trend is far from over. —Nicol Natale, PEOPLE, 30 Dec. 2025

Thanks to the recent drop of the Brooks Ghost 17s, the previous model of the sneakers are now on rare sale. —Genevieve Cepeda, Travel + Leisure, 30 Dec. 2025

Following a recent screening of the iconic holiday movie at the Academy Museum in honor of the film's 35th anniversary, the 45-year-old actor and the movie's director, Chris Columbus, sat down for a Q&A, in which Culkin shared that his two kids are big fans of the movie. —Janelle Ash, FOXNews.com, 30 Dec. 2025

Their numbers have fallen sharply in recent years. —Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 30 Dec. 2025

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