SKIP TO CONTENT

already

/ˌˈɔlˌrɛdi/
/ɔlˈrɛdɪ/
IPA guide

Things that happened already are in the past, as in "Stop nagging me! I already cleaned my room."

If you did something already, you did it in the past, whether an hour ago or a year ago. A team trying for its second championship already won a championship. A kid who ate cake first has already eaten dessert. If you've never done it, then you can't say you already did it. This word often gets used in exasperated tones, as in "Take out the garbage! I already told you ten times!"

Definitions of already
  1. adverb
    prior to a specified or implied time
    “she has already graduated”
Pronunciation
US
/ˌˈɔlˌrɛdi/
UK
/ɔlˈrɛdɪ/
Cite this entry
Style:
MLA
  • MLA
  • APA
  • Chicago

Copy citation
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘already'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback
Word Family