timely

What it means

1. Done at the proper time or within the proper time limits; prompt.

   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.

   2012, Frederick D. Lipman, Whistleblowers, Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley, →ISBN, page 201

   Synonyms: on time, well-timed, in time, on time, prompt, punctual, seasonable · Antonyms: ill-timed, late, backward, behindhand, belated, late, lated, overdue

2. Happening or appearing at the proper time.

   […] and the timely dew of sleep, / Now falling with soft slumbrous weight, inclines / Our eye-lids […]

   1667, John Milton, Paradise Lost, book 4, lines 614–616

   2 more examples

   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.

   1891, J.K.S., Drinking Song

   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.

   2011 October 20, Jamie Lillywhite, “Tottenham 1 - 0 Rubin Kazan”, in BBC Sport

   Synonyms: opportune, seasonable · Antonyms: inopportune, unseasonable, ill-timed, intempestive, inopportune, mistimed, timeless, unseasonable

3. obsoleteKeeping time or measure.

   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.

   1590, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene, book 1, canto 4, verse 4, lines 33–36

In a sentence

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.

2012, Frederick D. Lipman, Whistleblowers, Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley, →ISBN, page 201

Where it comes from

1. Old Englishtīmlīc
2. Middle Englishtimely
3. Englishtimely

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