presently
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
in a short time; soon.
in a short time; after a brief interval. This is the standard modern sense in both British and American English.
Simple“The doctor is busy right now, but she will be with you presently.”
In context“The rain began to subside, and presently the sun broke through the clouds, illuminating the valley below.”
Antonyms - 02 C1 Advanced
at the current time.
at the present time; currently. While common in North American business contexts, some style guides traditionally discouraged this use in favour of 'currently'.
Simple“He is presently working as a consultant for a firm in London.”
In context“The director is presently engaged in a meeting and cannot be disturbed until the afternoon session concludes.”
SynonymsAntonyms - 03 C2 Proficiency
right away or at once.
immediately; at once. This sense is largely restricted to historical literature and is no longer used in contemporary speech.
Simple“The king ordered the guards to bring the prisoner presently to the court.”
In context“In the nineteenth-century novel, the protagonist was told to depart presently if he wished to catch the final carriage.”
Synonyms
Usage presently use
“However, the land parcel in question was never allotted or settled in the names of the persons who are presently protesting against the project," he said.”
“It is important to bear in mind that necrotizing fasciitis presently remains very rare .”
From Middle English presently; equivalent to present + -ly.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.