▪ I. presently, adv.
(ˈprɛzəntlɪ)
[f. present a. + -ly2.]
† 1. So as to be, or as being, present; in presence; in the very place, on the spot; in person, personally.
| c 1380 Wyclif Wks. (1880) 454 Ȝif a man be presently nyȝ his sheep, & fayle not to fede hem & to defende hem.., his bodily presense is skileful to hym to dwelle vpon þes sheep. c 1430 [see presentatively]. 1537 Pole Let. to Hen. VIII in Strype Eccl. Mem. (1721) I. App. lxxxii. 199 Places [in my book] that cannot so vively be perceived by writing as..by conferring..presently with the author. 1565 Jewel Def. Apol. (1611) 199 When God himselfe in his owne person, and presently spake vnto Abel. 1579 W. Wilkinson Confut. Familye of Loue B ij, Whereto also the Author presently as a concordable witnes with the same doth onely point and direct us. |
2. a. At the present time; at this time, at present, now. Obs. (since 17th c.) in lit. Eng. (No certain instance in Shakes.) But in regular use in most Eng. dialects, and common in Sc. writers; revived in U.S. and to some extent in Great Britain in 20th c.
| 1485 Caxton Chas. Gt. 50 Thou arte not presently in helthe of thy body. 1489 ― Faytes of A. i. v. 11 Charles the fyfthe..fader of this that presently regneth. a 1533 Ld. Berners Gold. Bk. M. Aurel. (1546) G g ij b, Dedes done presently in our daies. 1637 R. Humfrey tr. St. Ambrose i. 31 A reward to be rendred hereafter, not presently. 1697 tr. C'tess D'Aunoy's Trav. (1706) 191 It is, says he, too long and melancholy a Mischance to relate presently. 1740 Tull Horse-hoing Husb. Suppl. 257 Enough to make the Horse hoing common in Time to come, if not presently. 1764 Reid Inquiry vi. §17 The question presently under consideration. 1826 Scott Provinc. Antiq. 85 Sir William Rae, Baronet,..presently Lord Advocate. 1849 Ruskin Sev. Lamps vi. §9. 171 Our presently disputed claims. 1897 Geikie Anc. Volcanoes Brit. I. i. i. 5 The presently active volcano must be the basis and starting-point of inquiry. 1901 Leeds Mercury 4 July, A young man belonging to Rotherham and presently staying with his parents at Bridlington. 1939 Topeka (Kansas) State Jrnl. 20 Feb. 12/1 Sunner is presently minister of interior and one of the outstanding leaders of the Falangists. 1943 Time 20 Sept. 25 They said Mussolini assured them he would return to power and re-establish the Fascist regime, comparing himself presently with Napoleon—the parallel being Napoleon's exile on Elba. 1945 Richmond (Virginia) Times-Dispatch 21 June 1/3 The one class of cadets presently at the academy. 1949 Sun (Baltimore) 9 Apr. 6/1 The members of the presently major coalition can hardly refuse to meet with the Mayor. 1957 G. Marx Let. 12 Apr. (1967) 213, I am presently building a house and doing my own show, but sometime within the next two months I'll make it. 1958 Economist 9 Aug. 433/1 It is entirely possible that Mr Macmillan..may now be getting greater commendation from the commentators of his generation than he will eventually get from historians; certainly the praise presently being heaped upon him seems to be..a consequence of the recent recovery in the Conservatives' fortunes. 1968 Globe & Mail (Toronto) 17 Feb. 52 (Advt.), We want a go-getter who is well established and presently calls on machinery, tool, and equipment supply firms. 1968 B. Foster Changing Eng. Lang. v. 215 This meaning of ‘at present’..is one which once again has been reintroduced from across the Atlantic where it had also lingered on, with the result that it is now in good use in England. ‘Warm air is presently moving north-east’ reported a B.B.C. weather bulletin (20 May 1963). 1969 Daily Tel. (Colour Suppl.) 24 Jan. 8/4 Ivan Cooper, a Protestant and former Unionist,..and presently chairman of the Derry Labour Party, was elected chairman. 1971 Nature 2 July 23/1 The Caribbean area is a subplate presently attached to the South American plate. 1978 N.Y. Times 30 Mar. d14/5 (Advt.), GTE Sylvania is presently engaged in the research, design, development and production of high energy Lithium Battery power sources for use in highly specialized applications. 1978 Dumfries Courier 13 Oct. 2/5 Mr. William O'Brien, solicitor, Dumfries, for the accused, said Mr. Savage was presently unemployed, his last employment being a year ago. |
† b. For the present; on the present occasion.
| 1593 T. Fale Dialling A iij, The making of the Horologicall Cylindre..we have presently omitted. 1632 Sanderson Serm. 319 That which hath beene presently delivered. |
† c. At the time referred to; for the time being; at that time, just then. (In quot. 1597, At the very time, or immediately before; ‘just’.) Obs.
| 1577 Holinshed Chron. II. 573/2 [They] fauoured not y⊇ race of the Kyngs that presently raigned. 1597 Gerarde Herbal i. xxxv. §4. 48 Neuer cast any colde water vpon them presently taken out of a well. 1614 Raleigh Hist. World iii. (1634) 128 Every one retaining what he presently had. 1696 Stillingfl. 12 Serm. iii. 90 Although the people might not presently believe what they said. 1740 tr. De Mouhy's Fort. Country-Maid (1741) I. 46 My Illness..being presently attributed to the indifferent Health I had enjoy'd for some Days past. |
3. At the very time, without any delay; at once, forthwith; immediately, instantly, directly, speedily, quickly, promptly. Obs. or arch.
| c 1430 Lydg. London Lackpenny Min. Poems (Percy Soc.) 105 Then to Westmynster-Gate I presently went When the sonn was at hyghe pryme. 1537 Cromwell in Merriman Life & Lett. (1902) II. 90 Without some reparacion to be presently doon upon it, it canne not be enhabited. 1591 Shakes. Two Gent. iv. iv. 76 Go presently, and take this Ring with thee. 1615 G. Sandys Trav. 110 The Sacrament which they administer in both kinds, and giue it to infants presently after Baptisme. 1692 Locke Educ. §83 It should not be done presently, lest Passion mingle with it. 1749 Fielding Tom Jones ix. iv, The poor woman,..no sooner looked at the serjeant, than she presently recollected him. 1834 Sir H. Taylor Artevelde i. xi, The terms are just and merciful indeed! But then they must be offered presently [ed. 1877 promptly proffered]. 1869 H. Martineau Autobiog. Pref., Making arrangements for the issue of this Autobiography presently after my decease. |
4. In blunted sense (gradually weakened from 3): In the space of time that immediately follows, in a little while, before long, after a short time, soon, shortly. (Cf. anon 5, by and by 4, and colloq. use of directly, immediately, and nearly all advbs. of the same kind). Now the ordinary use.
(The growth of this was so imperceptible, that early examples, esp. before c 1650, are doubtful.)
| a 1566 R. Edwards Damon & Pithias in Hazl. Dodsley IV. 90 For Pithias I bewail, which presently must die. 1598 Shakes. Merry W. iv. ii. 99 Nay, but hee'l be heere presently: let's go dresse him like the witch of Brainford. 1666 Pepys Diary 5 Oct., The Polyglottes and new Bible which he believes will be presently worth 40l. a-piece. 1699 Locke Educ. (ed. 4) §130 Toys..which are presently put out of order. 1721 Bradley Philos. Acc. Wks. Nat. 10 Others, which are softer in the Quarry, grow hard and firm presently after they are taken out of it. 1766 Fordyce Serm. Yng. Wom. (1767) II. xiii. 230 Pride will be presently brought down. 1829 I. Taylor Enthus. iv. (1867) 73 But the very same extravagances..when caught up by inferior spirits presently lose their garb..of beauty. 1833 H. Martineau Brooke Farm ii. 20 The elder boys might earn their own shoe-leather presently. 1857 Buckle Civiliz. I. xi. 647 The struggle, as we shall presently see, lasted two generations. |
| Colloq. I cannot attend to it at once; I will do so presently. |
† 5. Immediately (in space or relation); so as to be adjacent or contiguous; directly, closely. Obs.
| 1601 Holland Pliny I. 119 Neither the hils Ceraunij, nor yet the region Adiabene, do presently and immediatly confine thereupon: for the country of the Sopheni lyeth between. a 1619 Fletcher, etc. Knt. Malta ii. i, I have a business Which much concerns you, presently concerns you. 1656 Heylin Surv. France 102 Presently without the Chappell is the Burse. 1661 Lovell Hist. Anim. & Min. Introd., The stomach is joyned presently to the mouth, and is little. |
6. In the way of immediate consequence or inference; as a direct result or conclusion, directly; consequently, thereupon; necessarily, ipso facto.
| 1634 W. Tirwhyt tr. Balzac's Lett. (vol. I) 292, I cannot thinke..that it is sufficient onely to slander an honest man, to make him presently wicked. 1659 Bp. Walton Consid. Considered 94 We do not infer, nor doth it presently follow, that the present reading is corrupt and false. 1741 Watts Improv. Mind i. ix. §11 Do not presently imagine you shall gain nothing by his Company. 1849 W. Fitzgerald tr. Whitaker's Disput. 296 It does not presently follow that all have the Holy Spirit who say they have it. 1859 Gandell tr. Lightfoot's Horæ Heb. II. 45 Nor was he presently to be called an Eremite who dwelt in the wilderness. |
▪ II. † ˈpresently, a. Obs. rare.
[f. as prec. + -ly1.]
= present a. 1.
| c 1449 Pecock Repr. ii. ix. 193 God is lijk presentli euery where, and therfore he is lijk redi for to ȝeue hise gracis and ȝiftis euery where. 1548 Gest Pr. Masse I iv b, Though we mought praye vnto y⊇ sayd sainctes as beyng presentlye and conversaunt wyth vs. |