already

adverb

al·​ready ȯl-ˈre-dē 

ˈȯl-ˌre-dē

1

: prior to a specified or implied past, present, or future time : by this time : previously

He had already left when I called.

2

—used as an intensive

All right already.

Enough already!

Synonyms of already

• earlier
• ahead
• previously
• early
• before

Examples of already in a Sentence

They've already agreed to come.

I'd already left by the time you called.

He acted as if he didn't already know.

Flight 102 will already have taken off by the time Flight 101 lands.

Have they arrived already?! I'm still not dressed!

Do you have to go already?

Recent Examples on the Web

The race for high school football playoff seeding won’t officially start until August, but the jockeying has already begun. —Jack Leo, AJC.com, 4 May 2026

In his first Inaugural Address, on March 4, 1861, with seven states having already seceded from the Union, Lincoln proclaimed the essence of secession to be anarchy. —Jill Lepore, New Yorker, 4 May 2026

Liu said 35 states already have a state rock. —Theo Peck-Suzuki, Hartford Courant, 3 May 2026

But the president has already won. —Dan Diamond, Washington Post, 3 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English al redy, from al redy, adjective, wholly ready, from al all + redy ready

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing already

• all right already

Rhymes for already

• unsteady
• heady
• ready
• reddi
• steady
• teddy
• thready

Kids Definition

already

adverb

al·​ready ȯl-ˈred-ē 

ˈȯl-ˌred-ē

: before a certain time : by the time

I had already left when you called