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Current vs Presently - What's the difference?

current | presently |

As a noun current

is the part of a fluid that moves continuously in a certain direction.

As an adjective current

is existing or occurring at the moment.

As an adverb presently is

.

current

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • The part of a fluid that moves continuously in a certain direction.
  • (electricity) The time rate of flow of electric charge.
  • :* Symbol': '''''I (inclined upper case letter "I")
  • :* Units:
  • :: SI: ampere (A)
  • :: CGS: esu/second (esu/s)
  • A tendency or a course of events.
  • Synonyms

    * (part of a fluid that moves continuously in a certain direction ): flow, stream * (time rate of flow of electric charge ): electric current * (tendency or course of events ): flow, stream, tendency

    Derived terms

    * undercurrent

    Adjective

    (en-adj)
  • Existing or occurring at the moment.
  • *{{quote-magazine, date=2013-07-19, author=(Timothy Garton Ash)
  • , volume=189, issue=6, page=18, magazine=(The Guardian Weekly) , title= Where Dr Pangloss meets Machiavelli , passage=Hidden behind thickets of acronyms and gorse bushes of detail, a new great game is under way across the globe. Some call it geoeconomics, but it's geopolitics too. The current power play consists of an extraordinary range of countries simultaneously sitting down to negotiate big free trade and investment agreements.}}
  • Generally accepted, used, practiced, or prevalent at the moment.
  • * Arbuthnot
  • That there was current money in Abraham's time is past doubt.
  • *{{quote-magazine, date=2013-06-22, volume=407, issue=8841, page=68, magazine=(The Economist)
  • , title= T time , passage=The ability to shift profits to low-tax countries by locating intellectual property in them
  • (obsolete) Running or moving rapidly.
  • * Gower
  • Like the current fire, that renneth / Upon a cord.
  • * Tennyson
  • To chase a creature that was current then / In these wild woods, the hart with golden horns.

    Synonyms

    * (existing or occurring at the moment ): present * (generally accepted, used, practiced, or prevalent at the moment ): fashionable, prevailing, prevalent, rife, up-to-date

    Antonyms

    * (existing or occurring at the moment ): future, past * (generally accepted, used, practiced, or prevalent at the moment ): out-of-date, unfashionable

    presently

    English

    Alternative forms

    * (archaic)

    Adverb

    (en adverb)
  • *~1600 , (William Shakespeare), (Hamlet) , Act 3,
  • *:Polonius : My lord, the queen would speak with you, and presently .
  • *(The Bible) : (w) xxi. 19:
  • *:And presently the fig tree withered away.
  • *, Folio Society, 2006, Vol.1, p.219:
  • *:the butler supposing the Wine had beene so carefully commended unto him for the goodnesse of it, imediately presented some unto the Pope, who whilest he was drinking, his sonne came in and never imagining his bottles had beene toucht, tooke the cup and pledged his father, so that the Pope died presently ; and the sonne, after he had long time beene tormented with sicknesse, recovered to another worse fortune.
  • Before long; soon.
  • *1646 , (Thomas Browne), (Pseudodoxia Epidemica) , I.3:
  • *:Itis the greatest example of lenity in our Saviour, when he desired of God forgiveness unto those, who having one day brought him into the City in triumph, did presently after, act all dishonour upon him, and nothing could be heard but, Crucifige , in their Courts.
  • *
  • *:But they had already discovered that he could be bullied, and they had it their own way; and presently Selwyn lay prone upon the nursery floor, impersonating a ladrone while pleasant shivers chased themselves over Drina, whom he was stalking.
  • *1940 , (Raymond Chandler), , Penguin 2010, p.55:
  • *:‘I shall presently be getting a call to tell me of that.’
  • At the present time; now; currently.
  • *Sir (Philip Sidney) (1554-1586)
  • *:The towns and forts you presently have.
  • *1891 , The Welsh Review, No.1 (November 1891). "A Word to the Welsh People." p.1:
  • *:To all of you, therefore, who call Wales your motherland, whether you presently inhabit some other portion of the globe or breathe the air of your cloud-kissed country.
  • *Bishop (Stephen Gardiner) (1483-1555)
  • *:His precious body and blood presently three.
  • Usage notes

    * Some older usage guides, especially for UK English, object to the sense (now), though most major modern dictionaries do not.