ˈrēs ə nt adjective
( sometimes -er/-est )
Etymology: Middle French or Latin; Middle French recent, from Latin recent-, recens fresh, recent; akin to Greek kainos new, Sanskrit kanīna young
1.
a. : of or belonging to the present period or the very near past
recent alumni
recent leaders
the recent election
the recent storm
b. : having lately come into existence : just made or formed : new
recent buds on the peach trees
pride ourselves on our recent transcontinental highways — R.W.Murray
almost before the recent ink is dry — John Keats
c. : newly arrived
recent from the roar of foreign foam — A.C.Swinburne
2. : of or belonging to a period of time relatively near : not remote
in more recent times the Romans formed a great camp here — J.K.Jerome
is only of recent origin, and was wholly unknown in old times — Herman Melville
3. usually capitalized : of or relating to the present or existing epoch which is dated from the close of the Pleistocene : diluvial 3, holocene — see geologic time table
• re·cent·ly adverb
• re·cent·ness noun -es