recent

adjective

re·​cent ˈrē-sᵊnt How to pronounce recent (audio)
Synonyms of recent
1
a
: having lately come into existence : new, fresh
b
: of or relating to a time not long past
2
Recent : holocene
recentness noun

Examples of recent in a Sentence

Recent events have brought attention to the problem. I usually watch that show every week, but I missed the most recent episode. Medical science has made amazing progress in recent decades. That was the biggest earthquake in recent history.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
With fan favorites like Roman Reigns and even former heel Solo Sikoa now cheered, the company struggles to establish credible antagonists, despite the high quality of recent matches. — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026 The projections are based on historical scores, with the most recent season weighing most heavily. — Todd Holcomb, AJC.com, 2 Aug. 2026 Frans Schilte has seen the summer periods of low water levels get longer in recent years. — ABC News, 2 Aug. 2026 Beijing in recent years has rapidly expanded mandates for schools in ethnic minority regions to adopt primarily Chinese-language education, starting from kindergarten. — CNN Money, 2 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for recent

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin recent-, recens; perhaps akin to Greek kainos new

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of recent was in the 15th century

Phrases Containing recent

Rhymes for recent

See All Rhymes for recent

Browse Nearby Words

recension
recent
recently
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Recent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/recent. Accessed 6 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

recent

adjective
re·​cent ˈrēs-ᵊnt How to pronounce recent (audio)
1
a
: of or relating to a time not long past
recent history
b
: having lately appeared or come into existence : new, fresh
recent events
2
capitalized : holocene
recently adverb
recentness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on recent

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for recent

Nglish: Translation of recent for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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