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already
/ɔlˈrɛdi/
by this time
She has already left for the airport.
The action of leaving occurred before the present moment.
general
before or by now; prior to the present time
I've already eaten breakfast today.
The eating happened earlier today.
The train has already departed.
The departure occurred before now.
Often used with present perfect tense to indicate an action completed before the present moment. Can imply surprise or impatience in some contexts.
general
as early as the time mentioned
She was already a manager by age 25.
She became a manager at or before age 25.
Used to emphasize that something happened earlier than expected.
Collocations
Synonyms
Pro Tip
Avoid confusion with 'yet'
'Already' is used in positive statements and questions to indicate something has happened before now, while 'yet' is used in negative statements and questions to indicate something hasn't happened up to now.
Gold Rule
Present perfect tense pairing
Use 'already' with the present perfect tense (e.g., 'I have already seen that movie') to emphasize completion before the present moment.
Word Origin
From Middle English 'alredy', a combination of 'al' (all) and 'redy' (ready). The sense of 'by this time' emerged in the 16th century.
Usage Notes
Used to indicate that a situation or action has occurred before the present moment. In questions, it often implies surprise or impatience (e.g., 'Is it raining already?'). Avoid using it to mean 'now' or 'currently'—use 'now' instead.
Word Breakdown
all
completely
prefixready
prepared/occurred
rootEnglish Dictionary