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!
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 agency’s main headquarters will move to an already existing building roughly half a mile from the current site.
—
Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 27 Dec. 2025
The two are already parents to Willa Gray, Ada James, Lennon Love, and Lillie Carolina, all ages 10 and under.
—Sari Hitchins, Parents, 27 Dec. 2025
But the next year, with 175 trophies already to his name, 18-year-old Reisman qualified and found himself in London, crossing rackets with legends like Richard Bergmann, Bohumil Vana, Victor Barna.
—Julien Levy, Rolling Stone, 27 Dec. 2025
The family is already working on relocating, the lawsuit said.
—Idaho Statesman, 27 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for already
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Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 27 Dec. 2025
The two are already parents to Willa Gray, Ada James, Lennon Love, and Lillie Carolina, all ages 10 and under.
—Sari Hitchins, Parents, 27 Dec. 2025
But the next year, with 175 trophies already to his name, 18-year-old Reisman qualified and found himself in London, crossing rackets with legends like Richard Bergmann, Bohumil Vana, Victor Barna.
—Julien Levy, Rolling Stone, 27 Dec. 2025
The family is already working on relocating, the lawsuit said.
—Idaho Statesman, 27 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for already
Cite this Entry
“Already.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/already. Accessed 31 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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