timely

adjective

ˈtīm-lē How to pronounce timely (audio)
Definition of timelynext
1
as in seasonable
especially suitable for a certain time a timely invitation to lunch that came just as I was starting to feel hungry

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in immediate
done, carried out, or given without delay when I order a pizza, I expect it to be delivered in a timely manner

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of timely Specific and timely intelligence has also come to Iran from Russia. — Scott Peterson, Christian Science Monitor, 6 Oct. 2026 Miami’s defense had some timely stops throughout the game, yet the offense was unable to reciprocate. — Miami Herald, 5 Oct. 2026 Letting employees make mistakes and take ownership of success is critical to enabling timely decisions, especially in front of customers. — Guy Yehiav, Forbes.com, 5 Oct. 2026 Australia’s prime minister, for example, excoriated OpenAI and Altman for failing to alert officials in a timely manner that an agent had targeted a government health website. — Robert Hart, The Verge, 5 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for timely
Recent Examples of Synonyms for timely
  1. seasonable
  2. immediate
  3. opportune
  4. swift
  5. appropriate
  6. prompt
  7. proper
  8. quick
Adjective
  • Thursday and Friday will be dry and seasonable with plenty of sunshine and highs in the 70s.
    — Joseph Dames, CBS News, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Dry and pleasant conditions are forecast to continue into Monday with no mentionable rain chances along with seasonable afternoon temperatures anticipated.
    — Felix Rodriguez, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of seasonable
Adjective
  • Maintaining command-and-control links matters when troops rely on aerial sensors to gather information beyond their immediate positions.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Fire officials were most concerned with keeping the blaze north of Encinal Canyon Road, one of the few natural firebreaks in the immediate area.
    — Tom Tapp, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of immediate
Adjective
  • His camera glides around rooms and pans at opportune moments to maximize the power of offscreen space.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Yet the way things transpired in the Chiefs' 30-27 win in Las Vegas on Sunday, the bye may have come at an opportune time.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of opportune
Adjective
  • That drew a swift rebuke from a bipartisan group of Senators, who wrote a letter to Apple arguing that to do so would imperil national security.
    — Andrew R. Chow, Time, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The provincial government’s spokeswoman, Samar Haroon Bilour, praised rescue workers for their swift response.
    — Riaz Khan, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of swift
Adjective
  • When a print requires another color or material, the machine parks the current nozzle and collects the appropriate replacement.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 17 Oct. 2026
  • This is entirely appropriate for spaces where everything is allowed.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of appropriate
Adjective
  • Capture inputs, outputs, model and prompt versions and the reviewer’s evidence.
    — Jacqueline DeStefano-Tangorra, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Worsening throat pain with trouble swallowing, opening your mouth, or speaking normally also warrants prompt evaluation.
    — Angela Haupt, Time, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of prompt
Adjective
  • This should be the proper way to handle things, whenever these idiot artists decide to rant.
    — Joe Kinsey OutKick, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Among the errors cited in the August 6 report is a failure to allow proper curing (drying) time for the caulk applied to the expansion joints that separate the basin’s concrete slabs.
    — News Desk, Artforum, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of proper
Adjective
  • Step Back OPay took off in 2019 in Nigeria with ambitions to be a super app that offered various features, including motorcycle taxi bookings, food deliveries, and quick loans.
    — Yinka Adegoke, semafor.com, 12 Oct. 2026
  • The crusts are shaped using a crimping technique that, along with a quick baking time at high heat, leads to a unique, varied texture, the website states.
    — Sadie Chafe, FOXNews.com, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of quick

Browse Nearby Words

timeliness
timely
time-out
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Timely.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/timely. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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