timely

1 of 2

adjective

time·​ly ˈtīm-lē How to pronounce timely (audio)
timelier; timeliest
Synonyms of timely
1
: coming early or at the right time
a timely decision
timely payment
2
: appropriate or adapted to the times or the occasion
a timely book
timeliness noun

timely

2 of 2

adverb

1
: in time : opportunely
… the question was not … timely raised in the state court.—W. O. Douglas
2
archaic : early, soon

Synonyms of timely

Relevance

Adjective

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of timely in a Sentence

Adjective Her very timely book examines the effects of global warming on the world's climates. She always responds to my requests in a timely fashion.
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.
Adjective
Now the spacecraft will ride on the much larger H3 flagship rocket, which can give it a helpful boost to allow a timely visit to inbound Apophis. — Andrew Jones, Scientific American, 30 July 2026 Mary Beard, Cambridge classicist and chair of the 2026 Booker Prize jury is also exploring The Odyssey, a timely choice given the recent launch of Chris Nolan’s movie, with Charlotte Higgins, chief culture writer at The Guardian. — Peter White, Deadline, 30 July 2026 In the absence of timely intervention, preeclampsia symptoms can rapidly escalate, with brain hemorrhages, cardiac events, organ damage and seizures. — Carina Heckert, The Conversation, 30 July 2026 The circuit court, in its ruling, blamed Trump for failing to raise his immunity argument in a timely fashion. — Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 29 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for timely

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adverb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of timely was before the 12th century

Rhymes for timely

See All Rhymes for timely

Browse Nearby Words

time lock
timely
time machine
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Timely.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/timely. Accessed 1 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

timely

adjective
time·​ly
ˈtīm-lē
timelier; timeliest
1
: coming early or at the right time
2
: especially suitable for the time
a timely book
timeliness noun

Legal Definition

timely

adjective
time·​ly
ˈtīm-lē
: falling within a prescribed or reasonable time
timely notice
timeliness noun
timely adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on timely

Nglish: Translation of timely for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of spindrift

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Your vs. You're: How to Use Them Correctly
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

The Words of the Week - Jul. 31

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All