Definitions

timely

[tahym-lee] / ˈtaɪm li /

ADJECTIVE

at the right time

Synonyms

STRONGEST

appropriate convenient prompt proper up-to-date up-to-the-minute

STRONG

well-timed

WEAK

auspicious favorable fit fitting in good time in the nick of time judicious likely meet modern now opportune pat promising propitious prosperous punctual seasonable suitable timeous towardly with it

Antonyms

STRONGEST

improper unsuitable unsuited

WEAK

inappropriate inopportune untimely

Frequently Asked Questions

What is another word for timely?

Timely is used to describe something that happens at the right time or the scheduled time, as in a timely payment or a timely delivery. In this case, you could substitute timely with prompt or on-time. Timely can also describe something that happens at a time that’s best or most beneficial. In these cases, you can use words like appropriate, fitting, or well-timed. If something is timely in a lucky or coincidental way that leads to good fortune, you could describe it as serendipitous, as in Your card with the extra cash was especially serendipitous—it arrived on the day I ran out of money. Serendipitous indicates a level of good fortune that timely doesn’t necessarily imply.

What’s a synonym for timely manner?

When something is done in a timely manner, you could say that it was done in a timely fashion or that it was done promptly, which emphasizes that it was done quickly or right away. Saying that something was done quickly implies speed but not necessarily that it was done well or that it met the required deadline. Something done in a timely manner could be said to have been done efficiently, which suggests that it was done properly and without wasting time.

How do you use timely in a sentence?

Timely is a pretty common word that’s typically used in the context of when and how things are, should be, or are required to be done or completed. Despite it’s -ly ending, it’s never used as an adverb—It’s always used as an adjective, often in phrases like timely manner and timely fashion. Here are some examples of timely in a sentence:

It’s impossible to get to school in a timely manner without coffee—I feel like I’m in slow motion otherwise.
Pay your bills in a timely fashion, or you’ll rack up a lot of late fees.
Your email was very timely—it answered the question I was about to ask!

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The paper, seen by AFP, calls on the German government to ensure "a complete and timely awarding of contracts by the second half of 2026".

From Barron's • Jun. 10, 2026

“With informed discussion, creative thinking and timely legislative action, Social Security will continue to protect future generations.”

From MarketWatch • Jun. 10, 2026

“They just had some really timely, kind of what I call 50-50 plays, could go either way, went their way, and they capitalized on it,” Roberts said.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 6, 2026

More immediately, though, from a buyer's lens, the timely implementation of CAFE-3 regulations will be a key propellent, Amitabh Kant, former CEO of Niti Aayog, the government's think-tank, wrote recently in the Indian Express newspaper.

From BBC • Jun. 3, 2026

After they had gone we laborers looked rather emptily across the newly cleared rails at each other, at ourselves, and not even Brinker thought of the timely remark.

From "A Separate Peace" by John Knowles

timely

Frequently Asked Questions

Example Sentences

Vocabulary lists containing timely

"Macbeth" Vocabulary from Act III

Vocabulary from "There Will Never Be an Age of Artificial Intimacy," by Sherry Turkle

"The Tragedy of Macbeth," Vocabulary from Act 2

timely

Frequently Asked Questions

Example Sentences

Related Words

Vocabulary lists containing timely

"Macbeth" Vocabulary from Act III

Vocabulary from "There Will Never Be an Age of Artificial Intimacy," by Sherry Turkle

"The Tragedy of Macbeth," Vocabulary from Act 2