Recently
ˈriːsəntli
Definitions
In the recent past; not long ago.
ˈriːsəntli
At a recent time; not long ago
I recently started learning to play the guitar.
💡 Simply: Imagine someone asks you what you did this week. If you say, 'I recently went to the beach,' that means you went to the beach not too long ago. It's like saying 'a little while ago' or 'lately'.
👶 For kids: It means something happened a little while ago, like yesterday or last week.
More Examples
She recently moved to a new city.
They recently celebrated their anniversary.
How It's Used
"I recently visited my family."
"The company recently announced a new product line."
From 'recent' + '-ly'. 'Recent' derives from Latin 'recens' meaning 'new, fresh'.
Appeared in the English language around the 16th century.
Memory tip
Think of the word 'recent' meaning close to now. Adding '-ly' modifies this, indicating that the action happened in the recent past.