already
Americanadverb
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by this or that time; prior to or at some specified or implied time; previously.
When we came in, we found they had already arrived.
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now; so soon; so early.
Is it noon already?
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Informal. (used as an intensifier to express exasperation or impatience).
Let's go already!
adverb
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by or before a stated or implied time
he is already here
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at a time earlier than expected
is it ten o'clock already?
Commonly Confused
Although already and all ready are often indistinguishable in speech, the written forms have distinct meanings and uses. The phrase all ready means “entirely ready” or “prepared” ( I was all ready to leave on vacation ). Already means “previously” ( The plane had already left the airport ) or “so soon” ( Is it lunchtime already? ).
Etymology
Origin of already
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English al redy “all ready”; what originally meant “completely ( all ) ready” and modified the subject ( The porter all ready was there ) was taken adverbially as modifying the predicate ( The porter already was there, meaning “from an earlier time”)
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
They had already checked out of their hotel and had nowhere to go.
People who already have sluggish digestion may experience more severe symptoms.
From Science Daily
He said Iran has “already developed missiles that can threaten Europe and our bases overseas, and they’re working to build missiles that will soon reach the United States of America.”
From Los Angeles Times
What is clear is that in the past 48 hours, what was an already complicated political landscape for the World Cup has become even more challenging.
From BBC
But the S&P 500 already was teetering ahead of a crucial jobs report, with angst intensifying over the potential for artificial intelligence to drive sweeping layoffs.
From MarketWatch
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
