lately

American  

[leyt-lee] / ˈleɪt li /

adverb

1. of late; recently; not long since.

   He has been very grouchy lately.

---

lately British  

/ ˈleɪtlɪ /

adverb

1. in recent times; of late

---

Etymology

Origin of lately

before 1000; Middle English latli; Old English lætlīce; see late, -ly

Explanation

Something that happened lately occurred very recently. If you've spotted a fox every day for the last week, you might say, "I've seen so many foxes lately!" If your friend says, "I've been really stressed out lately," she means she's been overworked and tense for the past few days, weeks, or possibly months. Lately is an adverb that covers the immediate past, a period of time that wasn't too long ago. A more old-fashioned way to say lately is "of late." Though this word has had its current meaning since the fifteenth century, it originally meant "slow or sluggish."

Example Sentences

Much of the impact on service costs would be felt in higher airfares, which is obvious to anybody who has booked a flight lately.

From Barron's • Apr. 17, 2026

Have you noticed an improvement in the reliability of AI lately?

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

And even as Baird’s William Power acknowledged that investor sentiment toward Microsoft has become “mixed to negative” lately, he defended the stock in a Wednesday note to clients.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 15, 2026

Things have been looking a bit rosier lately.

From Barron's • Apr. 13, 2026

The brothers had solved a couple of mysteries around Bayport lately.

From "Mystery Map (The Hardy Boys: Secret Files, #3)" by Franklin W. Dixon