English Reference
adjective · noun

recent

adj. · n.
US /ˈɹisənt/ UK /ɹˈiːsənt/ re·cent

  1. 01 A2 Elementary

    adj.happening or starting only a short time ago.

    adj.having happened, begun, or been done only a short time ago.

    Simple

    In recent years, more people have started working from home.

    In context

    Recent developments in renewable energy technology have significantly reduced the cost of solar panel installation for residential properties.

  2. 02 C1 Advanced Technical Science

    adj.happening a short time ago in history, which could still mean thousands of years.

    adj.occurring within a relatively short period in geological or astronomical time, potentially spanning thousands or millions of years.

    Simple

    The crater was caused by a recent meteor strike about ten thousand years ago.

    In context

    Geologists consider these volcanic deposits to be relatively recent, dating them to the late Pleistocene epoch.

  3. 03 B2 Upper Intermediate Computing

    n.a file or website that you have looked at or used lately.

    n.a recently accessed file, document, or application, typically appearing in a history list.

    Simple

    I couldn't find the document, so I checked my recents in the menu.

    In context

    The application automatically populates the sidebar with your recents to allow for quicker navigation between active projects.

Usage recent years · recent weeks · recent study

This entry
Level A2 · Elementary
Frequency Very common
Updated