Meaning & use
recent
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Meaning
adjectivebefore a noun
Having happened, been done, begun, or been made only a short time ago.
Grammar: Most often comes before a noun: a recent visit. The adverb recently means a short time ago: we visited recently.
Patterns
- a recent study
- in recent years
- the recent past
A recent survey shows that prices are falling.
In recent years the town has attracted many new residents.
She returned home after a recent business trip abroad.
Common combinations
- in recent years
- In recent years, more people have started working from home.
- a recent study
- A recent study links better sleep with improved memory.
- recent developments
- We will review recent developments at tomorrow's meeting.
- a recent graduate
- The company hired a recent graduate with strong programming skills.
Synonyms and how they differ
- latest
- Means the most recent of a series (the latest news) and is not used for time span alone like recent.
- new
- New contrasts with old or used; recent contrasts with long ago, even if the thing is no longer new.
- fresh
- Suggests very recent and still vivid or unworn: fresh footprints, fresh evidence.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: recent or lately? recent or current?
recent vs lately
Lately is an adverb meaning in the recent past; recent is an adjective used before nouns.
recent vs current
Current means happening or existing now; recent means a short time ago and may already be finished.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence.
Choose one answer.
Here we need the adverb recently to modify moved. Recent is an adjective and cannot modify a verb, a recent cannot stand alone, and recenter is not a comparative form.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “recent”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.