recent

adjective

re·​cent ˈrē-sᵊnt 

1

a

: having lately come into existence : new, fresh

b

: of or relating to a time not long past

2

capitalized : 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

The 27-track album became a huge catalyst for the recent spotlight on Black country artists and the genre's roots. —Caché McClay, USA TODAY, 21 Feb. 2025

Anyone who’s watched baseball on television in recent years will be familiar with the faint, rectangular box that appears in front of the batter. —Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 21 Feb. 2025

Firstly, the rise of celebrity CEOs is a recent trend that’s becoming increasingly prevalent. —Callum Booth, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2025

According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery’s most recent data, the number of facelifts increased 8 percent year-over-year in 2023, outpacing the previous 8 percent growth rate that took place over a three-year timeframe from 2019 to 2022. —Kathryn Hopkins, WWD, 20 Feb. 2025

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

Phrases Containing recent

• of recent origin

Rhymes for recent

• decent
• puissant
• indecent

Kids Definition

recent

adjective

re·​cent ˈrēs-ᵊnt 

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