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

Ormund makes insinuations that his cousin is gay, which makes Ormund at once the most outwardly homophobic and sexist character in the show presently. — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026

Mustafa presently serves as chief curator of Singapore Art Museum, and was chosen for his distinguished track record and his ability to offer a fresh, international perspective to the fair. — News Desk, Artforum, 24 July 2026

Keep in mind this article is meant to be fun, and my trade ideas are not ones that teams are presently talking about — at least to my knowledge. — Jim Bowden, New York Times, 20 July 2026

The evidence says — and team officials believe — the Padres are not a contender as presently constructed. — Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 July 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