Meaning

• Having happened a short while ago.

• Up-to-date; not old-fashioned or dated.

• Having done something a short while ago that distinguishes them as what they are called.

  "I met three recent graduates at the conference."

• Particularly in geology, palaeontology, and astronomy: having occurred a relatively short time ago, but still potentially thousands or even millions of years ago.

• (capitalised as "Recent") Of the Holocene, particularly pre-21st century.