Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “recent” come from?

Recent comes from Latin recens, derived from Proto-Italic wrekents, with the original sense of "fresh" or "newly made."

recent (English): Having happened a short while ago; Up-to-date;...

Definitions

  1. Having happened a short while ago; Up-to-date;...

Ancestry of “recent”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchrécentrecent
2Spanishrecienterecent
3Italianrecenterecent
4Latinrecēns—
5Proto-Indo-Europeanḱen-to set oneself in motion, arise

Words derived from “recent”

  • recently
  • recentness
  • nonrecently
  • nonrecent
  • semirecent
  • recentism
  • recentish
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ḱen- →