timely

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adjective time·ly \ ˈtīm-lē \

Updated on: 26 Jul 2017

Definition of timely

timelier; timeliest

1 :coming early or at the right time

a timely decision

timely payment

2 :appropriate or adapted to the times or the occasion

a timely book

—

timeliness

noun

See timely defined for English-language learners

See timely defined for kids

Recent Examples of timely from the Web

Cut Video, maker of a million deliciously awkward viral situations, is back at it — this time, with a more timely video plot than Parents & Kids Smoke Weed Together for the First Time, for example.

— tess koman, Cosmopolitan, "Watch What Happens When a Democrat, Republican, and Independent Get Very, Very High Together," 24 Aug. 2017
Failure to inform the government in a timely fashion potentially carries penalties of up to five years in jail and $55,000.

— carol morello, Washington Post, "U.S. holds up military aid to Egypt over human rights concerns," 22 Aug. 2017
For many players on the Futures Tour, there are more dangerous land mines to negotiate than timely travel or costly hotels.

— david waldstein, New York Times, "Thousands of Players, Hundreds of Events and Little Reward," 18 Aug. 2017
And let’s face it: Carriers aren’t exactly known for pushing out timely upgrades.

— michael simon, PCWorld, "T-Mobile’s Revvl: Specs, features, pros and cons of T-Mobile's budget phone," 9 Aug. 2017
Garth couldn't post bail in a timely manner because she wasn't allowed to bring her purse with money and debit cards to jail, according to the lawsuit.

— ashley remkus, AL.com, "Alabama woman's $2.5 million lawsuit claims toddler was burned while in Tennessee police custody," 8 Aug. 2017
Following receipt of a timely and valid petition, the association must hold a membership vote, and if a majority of a quorum of members vote to overturn the change, the rule is overturned.

— kelly g. richardson, sandiegouniontribune.com, "HOA Homefront: Association boards may adopt election rules imposing additional board candidate eligibility," 29 July 2017
The high court unanimously ruled Otter did not act on the veto in a timely manner and, therefore, the veto was invalid.

— cynthia sewell, idahostatesman, "You still have to pay taxes on your groceries, says Idaho Supreme Court," 18 July 2017
The Griffins wasted no time scoring a run in each of the first three innings, thanks largely to speed and timely hits.

— gene chamberlain, Daily Southtown, "Cole Kirschsieper dominant on mound as Lincoln-Way East stifles Glenbard West," 17 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'timely.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of timely

13th century

timely Synonyms

Synonyms

opportune, seasonable, well-timed

Antonyms

inopportune, unseasonable, untimely

Related Words

appropriate, apt, fit, fitting, meet, pat, proper, suitable; pertinent, relative, relevant; fortunate, lucky, propitious; anticipated, expected; prompt, punctual

Near Antonyms

improper, inappropriate, irrelative, irrelevant, unfit, unseemly, unsuitable; unfortunate, unlucky; behind, behindhand, belated, delayed, delinquent, late, latish, overdue, postponed, slow, tardy; anticipatory, early, precocious, premature; abrupt, sudden, unanticipated, unexpected

timely

adverb

Definition of timely

1 :in time :opportunely

the question was not … timely raised in the state court
—W. O. Douglas

2 archaic :early, soon

Examples of timely in a Sentence

Her very timely book examines the effects of global warming on the world's climates.
She always responds to my requests in a timely fashion .

Recent Examples of timely from the Web

The Mariners have rebounded from a subpar first-half finish with two wins in Chicago, primarily thanks to strong pitching and timely hitting.

— seattle times sports staff, The Seattle Times, "Mariners at White Sox: Live updates as Seattle goes for series sweep in Chicago," 16 July 2017
James's arrival is also timely as Douglas Costa is on the verge of moving Juventus on another two-year loan deal, meaning that the offensive pecking order shortens ever so slightly.

— luis miguel echegaray, SI.com, "James Rodriguez secures freedom, opportunity with Bayern Munich move," 11 July 2017
The growing number of stories about real-life athletes suffering similar crises has made that idea especially—and regrettably—timely.

— alex mcelroy, The Atlantic, "Stephen Florida Reveals the Dark Toll of Athletic Greatness," 4 July 2017
Attorneys representing Penini said the city data on vacancies was timely when the application was turned in.

— emily alpert reyes, latimes.com, "L.A. overrules tenant activists, allows Beverly Grove apartments to become condos," 30 June 2017
If this incident is any indication, Trump can look forward to another timely mic cut.

— bess levin, The Hive, "Germans Pull the Plug on Rambling Trump Adviser Mid-Speech," 28 June 2017
Oregon State blew opponents out and were 14-1 in one-run games, winning with elite pitching, timely hitting and often flawless defense.

— sean meagher, OregonLive.com, "Watch: Pat Casey, Beavers react to season-ending loss to LSU in College World Series," 24 June 2017
The documentary, which airs tonight on EPIX, feels timely, both in its subject matter and approach.

— janelle okwodu, Vogue, "With Straight/Curve, Fashion Confronts Its Body Image Problem," 21 June 2017
This caution is particularly timely for Latinos, who are watching the implementation of Trump administration policies that go against their general interests, according to our recent poll, and who lack a meaningful way to respond.

— stella m. rouse, NBC News, "Opinion: Latinos Need a Voice. Where Is It?," 19 June 2017

First Known Use of timely

before 12th century

Financial Definition of TIMELY

timely

adjective

What It Is

Timeliness is a ranking criterion of stocks based on the likely price performance of a stock over a short time period – usually less than 12 months.

How It Works

Stocks are ranked on a 1 - 5 scale, with one the highest achievable score.

1 indicates the top 100 Stocks
2 indicates above average stocks
3 indicates average stocks
4 indicates below average
5 indicates the lowest rated 100 stocks

Investors are encouraged to hold on to stocks ranked "1" or "2" and sell stocks ranked "4" or "5."

Why It Matters

Timeliness is most widely cited in reference to analysis reports by the Value Line Publishing, Inc., one of the widest read stock research publication companies. A high timeliness rating is Value Line's best expectation of price performance for any given stock.

Source: Investing Answers

TIMELY Defined for English Language Learners

timely

adjective

Definition of timely for English Language Learners

: happening at the correct or most useful time : not happening too late

TIMELY Defined for Kids

timely

play

adjective time·ly \ ˈtīm-lē \

Definition of timely for Students

timelier; timeliest

1 :coming early or at the right time

a timely payment

2 :especially suitable to the time

a timely book

Law Dictionary

timely

adjective time·ly \ ˈtīm-lē \

legal Definition of timely

:falling within a prescribed or reasonable time

timely notice

—

timeliness

noun

—

timely

adverb

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Recent Examples of timely from the Web

First Known Use of timely

timely Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

timely

Definition of timely

Examples of timely in a Sentence

Recent Examples of timely from the Web

First Known Use of timely

Financial Definition of TIMELY

What It Is

How It Works

Why It Matters

TIMELY Defined for English Language Learners

timely

Definition of timely for English Language Learners

TIMELY Defined for Kids

timely

Definition of timely for Students

Law Dictionary

timely

legal Definition of timely

timeliness

timely

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