promptly

adverb

prompt·​ly ˈpräm(p)t-lē How to pronounce promptly (audio)
ˈpräm-plē
Synonyms of promptlynext
1
: in a prompt manner : without delay : very quickly or immediately
I'm going to speak French again, something I learned in school and promptly forgot.Deanna Pai
Treatment is promptly resumed until the virus is suppressed again, and then stopped to see if the patient's immune system is able to keep the viral levels in check.Joan Stephenson
2
: exactly at a particular time or the correct time
She arrived promptly at 7:00 p.m. as we had agreed.

Examples of promptly in a Sentence

shipped the package promptly so that it would arrive on time
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Handling whistleblower claims promptly and aggressively, and, where permissible, sharing investigative results with whistleblowers. Randall Fox, New York Daily News, 1 Jan. 2026 When that occurred, there were multiple witnesses in the room, including Wood, who promptly left. Daniel McFadin, Arkansas Online, 31 Dec. 2025 Refrigerate promptly and never leave perishable foods out for extended periods. Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 31 Dec. 2025 In Alien 3, helmed by David Fincher, Newt is promptly killed off in the opening minutes, along with characters Hicks (Michael Biehn) and Bishop (Lance Henriksen). Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for promptly

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of promptly was in the 15th century

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Cite this Entry

“Promptly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/promptly. Accessed 5 Jan. 2026.

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