# timely
## English
### Etymology

From Middle English timely, tymely, timliche, from Old English *tīmlīc (adj) and tīmlīċe (“in good time; timely; soon”, adverb), equivalent to time +‎ -ly. Cognate with Danish timelig, Swedish timlig, Icelandic tímalegur, tímanlegur.

### Pronunciation

* enPR: tīmʹlē, IPA: /ˈtaɪmli/
** Audio (Southern England):(file)

### Adjective

timely (comparative timelier, superlative timeliest)
* Done at the proper time or within the proper time limits; prompt.
    Synonyms: on time, well-timed; see also Thesaurus:punctual
    Antonyms: ill-timed, late; see also Thesaurus:overdue
** 2012, Frederick D. Lipman, Whistleblowers, Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley, →ISBN, page 201:If the whistleblower submitted a timely response, pursuant to Step 9, the Claims Review Staff will consider the issues, along with any supporting documentation, and make its Proposed Final Determination.
* Happening or appearing at the proper time.
    Synonyms: opportune, seasonable; see also Thesaurus:timely
    Antonyms: inopportune, unseasonable; see also Thesaurus:untimely
** 1667, John Milton, Paradise Lost, book 4, lines 614–616:[…] and the timely dew of sleep, / Now falling with soft slumbrous weight, inclines / Our eye-lids […]
** 1891, J.K.S., Drinking Song:There are people, I know, to be found, / ⁠Who say and apparently think / That sorrow and care may be drowned / By a timely consumption of drink.
** 2011 October 20, Jamie Lillywhite, “Tottenham 1 - 0 Rubin Kazan”, in BBC Sport‎:The athletic Walker, one of Tottenham's more effective attacking elements with his raids from right-back, made a timely intervention after Rose had been dispossessed and even Aaron Lennon was needed to provide an interception in the danger zone to foil another attempt by the Russians.
* (obsolete) Keeping time or measure.
** 1590, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene, book 1, canto 4, verse 4, lines 33–36:High lifted up were many loftie towres, / And goodly galleries farre over laid, / Full of faire windowes and delightful bowres; / And on the top a Diall told the timely howres.

#### Derived terms

* mistimely
* overtimely
* timelily
* timeliness
* timely-parted
* untimely

#### Translations
### Adverb

timely (comparative more timely, superlative most timely)
* (archaic) In good time; early, quickly.
** 2000, George R.R. Martin, A Storm of Swords, Bantam, published 2011, page 587:‘If I had been born more timely, he said, Rhaegar would have married me instead of Elia, and it would all have come out different.’
* (obsolete) At the right time; seasonably.
** 1646, Thomas Browne, Pseudodoxia Epidemica:And this we shall more readily perform, if we timely survey our knowledge, impartially singling out those encroachments, which junior compliance and popular credulity hath admitted.
* (law) In compliance with applicable time limits.
** 1998, United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit, US v. Merino-Balderrama:On May 14, 1997, the jury convicted the defendant, who currently is serving a fifteen-month sentence. The defendant timely appeals.
** 2003, United States Supreme Court, Clay v. United States‎:[…] § 2255's one-year limitation period starts to run when the time for seeking such review expires. Under this rule, Clay's § 2255 petition was timely filed.

#### See also

* seasonably
* tidely

## Middle English
### Adverb

timely
* Alternative form of tymely