recent

adjective

re·​cent ˈrē-sᵊnt How to pronounce recent (audio)
1
a
: having lately come into existence : new, fresh
b
: of or relating to a time not long past
2
capitalized : 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
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.
Stamos also shared during his Good Guys appearance that Loughlin's recent breakup came as a surprise to him. Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Oct. 2025 However, with the rise of complex multi-physics scenarios in new energy, smart vehicles, and semiconductors in recent years, legacy CAE architectures have begun to reveal their limitations. Ni Tao, Interesting Engineering, 21 Oct. 2025 In Hubble's recent image, NGC 6951 unfurls its graceful spiral arms, covered in red nebulae glowing with hydrogen gas, a key fuel for new stars. Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 20 Oct. 2025 Gas prices are viewed as an important economic indicator, although lower prices don’t guarantee a booming economy, and recent news and data points are showing an economy in which wealthy Americans appear to be spending freely, while poorer households seem to be pulling back. Frank Witsil, Freep.com, 20 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for recent

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

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Recent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/recent. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

recent

adjective
re·​cent ˈrēs-ᵊnt How to pronounce recent (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on recent

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!