presently

[ prez-uhnt-lee ]

adverb

1. in a little while; soon:

   They will be here presently.

   Synonyms: forthwith, shortly

   Antonyms: later

2. at the present time; now:

   He is presently out of the country.

3. Archaic. immediately.

presently

/ ˈprɛzəntlɪ /

adverb

1. in a short while; soon
2. at the moment
3. an archaic word for immediately

Usage Note

The two apparently contradictory meanings of presently, “in a little while, soon” and “at the present time, now,” are both old in the language. In the latter meaning presently dates back to the 15th century. It is currently in standard use in all varieties of speech and writing in both Great Britain and the United States. The sense “soon” arose gradually during the 16th century. Strangely, it is the older sense “now” that is sometimes objected to by usage guides. The two senses are rarely if ever confused in actual practice. Presently meaning “now” is most often used with the present tense ( The professor is presently on sabbatical leave ) and presently meaning “soon” often with the future tense ( The supervisor will be back presently ). The semantic development of presently parallels that of anon, which first had the meaning, now archaic, of “at once, immediately,” but later came to mean “soon.”

Word History and Origins

Origin of presently¹

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; present ¹, -ly

Synonym Study

See immediately

Related Words

• immediately
• soon