recent

USAGE SUMMARY

The word 'recent' is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe something that happened, is happening, or will happen close to the present moment in time. Example sentence: I heard about the recent news article about the new school regulations.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

North Korea's recent test-firing of a ballistic missile from a submarine was "very serious and concerning", South Korea said on Monday, with one defence official suggesting Pyongyang could have a fully operational platform in two or three years.

The Guardian

In recent years, the gap between rich and poor in Kazakhstan has widened, heightening social tensions.

The Guardian

Clarke held talks on this at a recent EU-Latin America summit in Chile with Karel De Gucht, the European trade commissioner.

The Guardian

"Over recent decades, technological change, globalization and an erosion of the institutions and practices that support shared prosperity in the U.S. have put the middle class under increasing stress.

The New York Times

Clearly, the recent spotlight on conditions at Foxconn has performed a similar service for the electronics industry.

The New York Times

Instead, a hefty chunk of the increase in consumption in recent decades has been the result of higher housing prices, the rising cost of medical care, more spending on education, and childcare.

The Economist

Scullion said a recent Facebook page he saw which contained racist abuse aimed at Indigenous people was proof that "we still haven't got it right in this country".

The Guardian

A native of Florida, her most recent book is a history of Florida, Dream State.

The Guardian - Opinion

Over at another forum discussing the same topic (some folks are busy out there) there is indeed what appears to be a Google executive posting that recent changes in were "an enforcement of our viewcount policy".

The Guardian - Tech

The most recent execution took place in Ohio yesterday.

The Guardian

When asked to respond to Simon Cowell's recent comment that Clarkson "started to fight against what made her successful … one minute she wants to make pop records, and then she doesn't," she laughs loudly again, but there's a distinct flash of anger as she says: "Everyone's aware that My Life Would Suck Without You and Already Gone were huge pop hits, right?

The Guardian - Music

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "recent" to provide context about the timing of events or developments, making it clear that they are not from the distant past.

Common error

Avoid using "recent" with other adjectives that already imply newness or immediacy, such as "brand new" or "just released". Redundancy weakens your writing.

Linguistic Context

The word "recent" functions primarily as an adjective. It modifies nouns to indicate that they are from the near past, highlighting the proximity of an event, development, or object to the present time. Ludwig AI confirms its correct usage across examples.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

82%

Formal & Business

8%

Science

5%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

2%

Wiki

2%

Social Media

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The word "recent" functions as an adjective that describes something that happened, is happening, or will happen close to the present moment in time. According to Ludwig AI, the word is correct and usable in written English. It's grammatically correct and very common in news, media, and formal/business contexts. When using "recent", aim for precision by avoiding redundant adjectives and ensuring you provide appropriate temporal context. Remember, using other terms such as "current", "latest", or "newest" are alternatives you can leverage based on the context.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

latest

Implies the most up-to-date or newest version of something.

newest

Similar to "latest", but emphasizes the novelty or freshness of something.

current

Focuses on something existing or happening now, rather than simply occurring in the past.

in recent times

Emphasizes a period covering the near past, rather than a single point in time.

immediate past

A more explicit and descriptive way of referring to the time frame that "recent" implies.

just concluded

Emphasizes the termination of an event or activity in the immediate past.

new

A simple term suggesting the novelty of something; less specific about timing than "recent".

lately

An adverb that refers to actions or events that have occurred in the near past.

fresh

Suggests something is newly made or obtained, similar to "new" but often implying a sense of immediacy.

of late

A more formal or literary way to say "lately."

FAQs

How can I use "recent" in a sentence?

You can use "recent" to describe events or developments that have occurred in the near past, such as "the recent economic downturn" or "recent advancements in technology".

What's a good alternative to "recent"?

Depending on the context, you could use alternatives like "latest", "current", or "newest".

Is it correct to say "more recent"?

Yes, "more recent" is grammatically correct and used to compare the relative recency of two or more things. For example, "This study is more recent than the previous one."

What is the difference between "recent" and "lately"?

"Recent" is an adjective that describes a noun, while "lately" is an adverb that describes a verb. You might say "recent events" or "I've been feeling tired lately".