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

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

/ rē′sənt /

1. See Holocene

Derived Forms

• ˈrecentness, noun
• ˈrecently, adverb

Other Words From

• re·cen·cy re·cent·ness noun
• re·cent·ly adverb
• qua·si-re·cent 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

Recent Zelda games have given players much more room to be creative and test the limits of what they can do, with some sharing the results online.

From BBC

Recent history is littered with examples of Ministry of Defence projects that overrun and overspend, some in eye-watering proportions.

From BBC

Recent fires in California have focused attention and fears on lithium-ion batteries.

From Los Angeles Times

Recent polling suggested that housing and immigration are major issues for voters - a fact that will not go unnoticed by the parties, but one they will all struggle with.

From BBC

Recent reports claimed that Smith is already in the process of winding down the cases.

From Salon

Related Words

• late
• new