: happening or beginning not long ago
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/years.
She's a recent college graduate. [=she graduated from college a short time ago]
The change was recent.
That was the biggest earthquake in recent history/memory.
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“Recent.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/recent. Accessed 14 Apr. 2026.
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