Kenneth G. Wilson (1923–). The Columbia Guide to Standard American English. 1993.
presently (adv.)
means either “shortly, soon” or “now, at present.” Both meanings are Standard, although there has been much objection until fairly recently to the “at present” meaning, even though it has been in steady use since the early Renaissance. The tense of the verb and other contextual evidence usually make clear which sense is in use in a given sentence. I’ll be seeing you presently clearly means “I’ll be seeing you shortly or soon.” He’s presently at work on a new novel means that he is working “at present” and would mean the same thing with now or nothing at all instead. See also FORMERLY.
