Happening at an appropriate or opportune moment. Done or occurring at a suitable time for effectiveness or relevance.
From Old English 'tima' (time) plus the suffix '-ly'. The concept of appropriate timing has been important across cultures, leading to this compound formation in Middle English.
The phrase 'timing is everything' captures why 'timely' is so valued - the same action can be brilliant or disastrous depending purely on when it occurs. Shakespeare wrote 'better three hours too soon than a minute too late', emphasizing our cultural obsession with perfect timing.
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