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📕 rednote ID(小红书号)：3881567312

Recent: Meaning, Examples, and Usage Guide (2 meaning)

Meaning 1：not long ago (recent)

recent 🔊

/ˈriːsənt/

adj.

Describing something that happened a short time ago, not long in the past.

Hand tearing off old calendar sheet to reveal a recent date

not long ago 🔊

➕

/nɑːt lɔːŋ əˈɡoʊ/

adj.

Refers to events or states that occurred in the near past, as opposed to the distant past.

📁 Category：Time & Dates 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Latin 'recens' meaning fresh or young, via Old French 'recent'.

💡 Mnemonic

Think 're' (again) + 'cent' (new coin): a recent coin is freshly minted.

📖 Example

My phone just got a recent software update, and now the battery lasts much longer. 🔊 My phone just got a recent software update, and now the battery lasts much longer.

🔗 Collocations

recent event – an event that happened not long ago

recent changes – alterations that have occurred recently

recent history – the part of history close to the present

🔄 Synonyms

new (adj.) – something that has been made or discovered recently

fresh (adj.) – newly produced or arrived

late (adj.) – occurring just before the present time (often in combination, e.g., 'late news')

🚫 Antonyms

old (adj.) – having existed for a long time

ancient (adj.) – belonging to the very distant past

distant (adj.) – far away in time

🌱 Derivatives

recently (adv.) – at a recent time; not long ago

recentness (n.) – the quality of being recent

recenter (adj.) – comparative form of recent (less common)

📖 Cultural Story

The word entered English in the 16th century from Latin 'recens' (fresh). Common in modern contexts like 'recent updates' in tech.

Meaning 2：freshly made or grown (recent)

recent 🔊

/ˈriːsənt/

adj.

Something that is new and fresh, having appeared or started not long ago.

Freshly baked bread with steam rising on a cutting board

freshly made or grown 🔊

➕

/ˈfreʃli meɪd ɔːr ɡroʊn/

adj.

Describes products or items that are newly produced, often implying they are in optimal condition.

📁 Category：Objects & Materials 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Example

The bakery is famous for its bread, which is always warm and recent from the oven. 🔊 The bakery is famous for its bread, which is always warm and recent from the oven.

🔗 Collocations

recent bread – bread that has just been baked

recent harvest – crops that have been gathered very recently

recent paint – paint that has just been applied

🔄 Synonyms

fresh (adj.) – newly made or obtained

new (adj.) – not old; recently created

just-out (adj.) – very recently produced (informal)

🚫 Antonyms

stale (adj.) – no longer fresh; old and dry

old (adj.) – having existed for a long time

mature (adj.) – fully developed or aged (opposite in some contexts)

🌱 Derivatives

recently (adv.) – not long ago in the sense of production

recency (n.) – the state of being recently made

recentness (n.) – the quality of being recent (as in freshness)