Synonyms

lately

American

[leyt-lee] / ˈleɪt li /

adverb

of late; recently; not long since.

He has been very grouchy lately.

lately British

/ ˈleɪtlɪ /

adverb

in recent times; of late

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of lately

before 1000; Middle English latli; Old English lætlīce; late, -ly

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.

And lately he’s been doing a lot of the latter.

From The Wall Street Journal

“The people in and about Rochester have been knocked almost out of their senses lately, by a family of quite pretty young ladies …” gushed the Weekly Argus, introducing Albany’s citizens to the fabulous Fox sisters.

From Literature

Things have been tough for Stellantis lately, with the auto maker struggling through high dealer inventories.

From Barron's

But lately it’s used for routine tasks such as “l’m leaning in to finish payroll” or ‘I’m going to lean in and have lunch.”

From The Wall Street Journal

He said that the mountain lion’s prey of choice, mule deer, have been less readily available lately, potentially making them look for other sources of food.

From Los Angeles Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023