# recent

> English word · Adjective · IPA /ˈɹiː.sənt/ · frequency rank #977

## Definitions
1. Having happened a short while ago.
2. Up-to-date; not old-fashioned or dated.
3. Having done something a short while ago that distinguishes them as what they are called.
4. Particularly in geology, palaeontology, and astronomy: having occurred a relatively short time ago, but still potentially thousands or even millions of years ago.

## Etymology
Borrowed from Latin recēns (genitive recentis).

## Easily confused with
- **rent** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/recent-vs-rent)
- **reset** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/recent-vs-reset)
- **recon** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/recent-vs-recon)
- **Recep** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/recent-vs-recep)
- **repeat** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/recent-vs-repeat)
- **reject** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/recent-vs-reject)
- **recess** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/recent-vs-recess)
- **regent** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/recent-vs-regent)
- **resent** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/recent-vs-resent)
- **repent** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/recent-vs-repent)
- **revert** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/recent-vs-revert)
- **rodent** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/recent-vs-rodent)
- **reheat** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/recent-vs-reheat)
- **recount** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/recent-vs-recount)
- **recently** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/recent-vs-recently)
- **reticent** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/recent-vs-reticent)
- **recast** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/recast-vs-recent)
- **recede** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/recede-vs-recent)
- **receipt** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/receipt-vs-recent)
- **reagent** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/reagent-vs-recent)

## Common misspellings (9)
`ercent`, `rceent`, `reccent`, `recennt`, `recentt`, `recetn`, `recnet`, `reecnt`, `rrecent`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/recent