lately

The word “lately” means recently; in the period up to now. In plain terms, a way of saying "in recent times" or "not long ago".

“Lately” is pronounced LAYT-lee (/ˈleɪt.li/ in IPA).

Here is “lately” used in a sentence: “Have you seen him lately?”

Words with a similar meaning to “lately” include freshly.

“Lately” is an adverb.

“Lately” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.

Both point to the near past, but lately usually describes an ongoing stretch of time up to now, often paired with a continuing situation, as in 'I've been tired lately.' Recently can mark a single past moment, as in 'I saw her recently.' Lately fits patterns and habits; recently fits isolated events.

Lately typically appears with the present perfect tense to describe recent, continuing conditions. For example: 'She's been working late lately,' or 'Lately, I've noticed the mornings getting colder.' It can also stand at the start or end of a clause, signalling that something has changed or been true across the recent period leading up to the present.

Lately is neutral and works comfortably in both everyday conversation and most writing. It is slightly more casual than phrases like 'in recent times' or 'of late,' which suit formal prose. For ordinary speech, letters, and general writing, lately is a natural, unremarkable choice that no one would consider slang.