recent
gb/ɹˈisənt/ us/ɹˈisənt/
A2
English
~ 700
Senses
0 senses
adjective
A2
property
1
Happening not long ago
Happening or starting not a long time ago.
Usage pattern:
a recent [event/development/change]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'recent' with 'current'. 'Recent' refers to something that happened not long ago, while 'current' means happening now.
Synonyms
new (Suggests something that has just appeared or been created, but may focus more on novelty than timing.)
|
fresh (Informal; often used for things that are new and appealing, sometimes food or ideas.)
Antonyms
old (Refers to something from a long time ago, the opposite of recent in terms of time.)
|
ancient (Refers to something extremely old, far in the past.)
Collocations
recent events
|recent changes
|recent years
|recent developments
|most recent
Themes
time
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The recent storm caused widespread flooding.
- She has been very busy with her recent projects.
- Recent studies show a link between diet and health.
- We discussed the recent changes in the law.
- His most recent book became a bestseller.
Learner examples
- I read a recent news story.
- We had a recent meeting at school.
- She bought a recent model of the phone.
- He talked about recent changes at work.
- The recent rain made the grass wet.
Grammar
Dictionary form
recent
IPA
GB/ɹˈisənt/
US/ɹˈisənt/
Syllables & stress
re - cent (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (re)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: recent
Word family
Core family
recently
adverb A2
Advanced or less common
recency
noun
Expressions
in recent years
1/ˈɪn ɹˈisənt jˈɪɹz/
fixed phrase
Over the last few years
During the last few years until now.
Examples
- In recent years, technology has changed rapidly.
- Crime rates have dropped in recent years.
most recent
1/mˈoʊst ɹˈisənt/
fixed phrase
The latest or newest
The newest or latest in time.
Examples
- This is his most recent album.
- The most recent data will be released tomorrow.
until recently
1/ʌntˈɪl ɹˈisəntli/
fixed phrase
Up to not long ago
Before a short time ago, but not now.
Examples
- Until recently, she lived in New York.
- The shop was open until recently.
until recently
2/ʌntˈɪl ɹˈisəntli/
fixed phrase
Up to a short time ago
Used to say something was true in the past but has changed in the very near past.
Examples
- Until recently, we lived in the countryside.
- She worked here until recently, but now she has another job.