Presently
1Presently — Pres ent*ly, adv. 1. At present; at this time; now. [Obs.] [1913 Webster] The towns and forts you presently have. Sir P. Sidney. [1913 Webster] 2. At once; without delay; forthwith; also, less definitely, soon; shortly; before long; after a… …
2presently — presently, shortly, soon, directly are comparable when they mean after a little while or before long. Presently carries this as its chief meaning; it is a term of rather vague implication as to the time indicated {the doctor will be here… …
3presently — There are two meanings which serve well to illustrate the interactions of British and American English. The older meaning ‘at the present time, now’ dates from the 15c and is still the dominant meaning in AmE. In BrE it has been largely overtaken …
4presently — index in due course, instantly Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …
5presently — (adv.) late 14c., immediately, at this time, from PRESENT (Cf. present) (adj.) + LY (Cf. ly) (2). By 1560s it had relaxed into sooner or later …
6presently — [adv] in a short while anon, before long, before you know it, by and by, directly, down the line*, down the pike*, down the road*, immediately, in a minute, in a moment, in a short time, now, nowadays, pretty soon, shortly, soon, today, without… …
7presently — ► ADVERB 1) after a short time; soon. 2) at the present time; now …
8presently — [prez′ənt lē] adv. 1. in a little while; soon 2. at present; now: a usage objected to by some 3. Archaic at once; instantly …
9presently — [[t]pre̱z(ə)ntli[/t]] 1) ADV: ADV before v, ADV group If you say that something is presently happening, you mean that it is happening now. She is presently developing a number of projects... The island is presently uninhabited... He is presently… …
10presently — /prez euhnt lee/, adv. 1. in a little while; soon: They will be here presently. 2. at the present time; now: He is presently out of the country. 3. Archaic. immediately. [1350 1400; ME; see PRESENT1, LY] Syn. 1. shortly, forthwith. Ant. 1. later …
