presently

adverb

pres·​ent·​ly ˈpre-zᵊnt-lē 

1

a

archaic : at once

b

: without undue delay : before long

2

: at the present time : now

Usage of Presently

Both senses 1b and 2 are flourishing in current English, but many commentators have objected to sense 2. Since this sense has been in continuous use since the 15th century, it is not clear why it is objectionable. Perhaps a note in the Oxford English Dictionary (1909) that the sense has been obsolete since the 17th century in literary English is to blame, but the note goes on to observe that the sense is in regular use in most English dialects. The last citation in that dictionary is from a 1901 Leeds newspaper, written in Standard English. Sense 2 is most common in contexts relating to business and politics.

the fastest-rising welfare cost is Medicaid, presently paid by the states and cities

—William Safire

Synonyms of presently

• shortly
• soon

Examples of presently in a Sentence

I cannot attend to the matter this instant, but I will presently.

we are presently waiting in line for our turn

Recent Examples on the Web

For all the efforts to eradicate it — about which more presently — many fear the chant will ring out again this summer. —Jack Lang, New York Times, 11 June 2026

He is presently incarcerated at the Minnesota Correctional Facility in Faribault. —Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 11 June 2026

The main thrust will be strengthening the middle, where Quinton Byfield is the only core piece presently. —Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 9 June 2026

Filmmakers, like government regulators here and abroad, are presently trying to compute the overall impact of the Warner-Paramount-Skydance merger, co-funded in part by Middle Eastern resources. —Peter Bart, Deadline, 4 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for presently

• pleasantly
• unpleasantly

Kids Definition

presently

adverb

pres·​ent·​ly ˈprez-ᵊnt-lē 

1

archaic : at once

2

: before long : after a while

presently they arrived

3

: at the present time : now

she is presently working