What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Presentable vs Presently - What's the difference?

presentable | presently |

As an adjective presentable

is presentable (able to be presented).

As an adverb presently is

.

presentable

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • In good enough shape that someone or something can be shown to other people, tidy, attractive
  • :* Before we go out, let me just go to the washroom and make myself presentable .
  • * 1900 , L. Frank Baum , The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Chapter 23
  • Before they went to see Glinda, however, they were taken to a room of the Castle, where Dorothy washed her face and combed her hair, and the Lion shook the dust out of his mane, and the Scarecrow patted himself into his best shape, and the Woodman polished his tin and oiled his joints. When they were all quite presentable they followed the soldier girl into a big room where the Witch Glinda sat upon a throne of rubies.

    Derived terms

    * presentably * unpresentable

    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.