- 1 [only before noun] happening now; of the present time current prices a budget for the current year your current employer Which Word?actual / current / present Actual does not mean current or present. It means ‘real’ or ‘exact’, and is often used in contrast with something that is not seen as real or exact:I need the actual figures, not an estimate. Present means ‘existing or happening now’:How long have you been in your present job? Current also means ‘existing or happening now’, but can suggest that the situation is temporary:The factory cannot continue its current level of production. Actually does not mean ‘at the present time’. Use currently, at present or at the moment instead.
- 2 being used by or accepted by most people words that are no longer current Word OriginMiddle English (in the adjective sense ‘running, flowing’): from Old French corant ‘running’, from courre ‘run’, from Latin currere ‘run’.Extra examples Our current financial situation is not good. The necklace would be worth over $5 000 at current prices. What are the current unemployment figures? What’s the budget for the current year?
Check pronunciation: current
