not so recently

USAGE SUMMARY

"not so recently" is correct and can be used in written English.
You can use this phrase when you want to indicate that something did not happen recently, but some time before the present moment. For example, "I visited my grandmother not so recently, but I'm sure she'll remember me."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

12 human-written examples

Not so recently destroyed, Le?eems older than Granada.

The New York Times

Christina of Denmark, not so recently widowed, was a possible contender.

Independent

And not so recently restored, it has a more lived-in feel.

The New York Times

Through the years he had partners, and though that was not so recently, he was hardly alone.

The New York Times

Not so many, not so recently if we are honest and forget the days of men like Finney and Matthews, Charlton and Greaves and Moore.

Independent

It is a posture that would be easy to mock, had fashion not so recently come back around to Mr. Anthony's point of view.

The New York Times - Style

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

47 human-written examples

While it'll almost certainly never happen, it's at least theoretically possible: Skype has recently acquired GroupMe, and Microsoft not-so-recently acquired Skype.

TechCrunch

The Q brothers thus offer a terrific epitaph in general for our not-so-recently deceased bard: "Good storytellers borrow, but great ones steal".

Huffington Post

Not so much recently, though.

The Guardian - Sport

He would pop in every once in a while when we played here, but not so much recently.

The New York Times - Sports

"You could say a quiet war is not so quiet recently," Shlomo Brom, a retired brigadier general and former director of Strategic Planning for the Israel Defense Forces, told me.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "not so recently" when you want to soften the implication that something happened long ago, suggesting it was some time ago but not ancient history.

Common error

Avoid using "not so recently" excessively in formal writing. While grammatically correct, it can sound less precise than alternatives like "some time ago" or "previously".

Linguistic Context

Not so recently functions as an adverbial phrase, modifying a verb or clause to indicate a point in time that is neither the immediate past nor the distant past. Ludwig shows its usage in various contexts, reflecting a nuanced way to position events in time.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

75%

Science

25%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "not so recently" serves as an adverbial modifier indicating a time frame that is neither very recent nor distant. According to Ludwig, it's grammatically correct and used across different contexts, primarily in news and media. It functions to soften the temporal distance of an event, suggesting a time that is neither immediate nor remote. While generally acceptable, more precise alternatives might be preferred in formal writing. It helps to prevent creating an unintentional implication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

not in recent times

Stresses that the period in question is not part of recent history.

some time ago

Indicates a past time without specifying exactly when; less emphasis on recentness.

not lately

Focuses on the absence of recent occurrences.

not in the immediate past

More formal and explicitly negates recent occurrence.

previously

More formal; simply indicates something happened before.

a while back

Informal; suggests a period further in the past.

before now

Emphasizes the contrast with the current moment.

in the past

General reference to a time before the present.

earlier

Simple and direct reference to a past time.

in days gone by

More figurative and implies a distant past.

FAQs

How can I use "not so recently" in a sentence?

You can use "not so recently" to indicate that something happened a while ago but is not extremely distant in the past. For example, "I visited that museum "not so recently", and I remember it well".

What's the difference between "not so recently" and "recently"?

"Recently" indicates something happened in the immediate past, while "not so recently" implies it occurred some time before the present, but "not in the distant past".

Is "not so recently" formal or informal?

"Not so recently" is generally considered neutral to slightly informal. In very formal writing, consider using alternatives such as "previously" or "some time ago".

What can I say instead of "not so recently"?

Alternatives include "a while back", "some time ago", "previously", or "not lately", depending on the context and level of formality you want to convey.