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.
The recent incidents, however, have heightened calls for a slowdown. — Lisa Eadicicco, CNN Money, 9 Aug. 2026 Allegretti has attended recent camp practices but has not participated. — Nicki Jhabvala, New York Times, 9 Aug. 2026 Heming Willis told Kotb that her husband's condition initially left her feeling guilty about celebrating her recent 50th birthday. — Charlie Carballo, USA Today, 8 Aug. 2026 If there is a glimmer of hope in the smoke, it can be found in the relatively low mortality rates for these recent urban fires, and their largely successful evacuations, which demonstrate real social cohesion and admirable courage and civic spirit. — John Vaillant, Time, 8 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 9 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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