recent

[ree-suhnt]

adjective

1. of late occurrence, appearance, or origin; lately happening, done, made, etc..

   recent events; a recent trip.

   Synonyms: new, fresh
   Antonyms: old, early

2. not long past.

   in recent years.

3. of or belonging to a time not long past.

4. Geology.,  Recent. noting or pertaining to the present epoch, originating at the end of the glacial period, about 10,000 years ago, and forming the latter half of the Quaternary Period; Holocene.

noun

1. Also called Holocene. Geology.,  Recent. the Recent Epoch or Series.

recent

¹

/ ˈriːsənt /

adjective

1. having appeared, happened, or been made not long ago; modern, fresh, or new

Recent

²

/ ˈriːsənt /

adjective

1. geology another word for Holocene

Recent

1. See Holocene

Other Word Forms

• recency noun
• recentness noun
• recently adverb
• quasi-recent adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of Recent¹

First recorded in 1525–35; from Latin recent- (stem of recēns ) “fresh, new”

Word History and Origins

Origin of Recent¹

C16: from Latin recens fresh; related to Greek kainos new

Synonym Study

See modern.

Example Sentences

CVS said it expects to offer COVID-19 vaccines without prescriptions at its pharmacies in New Mexico, Nevada, New York and Pennsylvania “soon,” due to recent regulatory changes in each state.

From Los Angeles Times

Leap said support for the program has in recent years started to wane, despite research showing the approach has helped drive down crime.

From Los Angeles Times

But Pulte has framed the issue in black-and-white terms: “Your second home is not your primary home,” he warned in one recent post on X.

From Salon

The statement added that police were aware there had been a recent focus on the proscription of Palestine Action and stressed that decision had been taken by the UK government.

From BBC

"The recent bank holiday weekend provided an illustration of volatile public sentiment on this topic on social media," Wareing said.

From BBC

Related Words

• late 
• new