Jump To:

• now
  now

  adverb

  at the present time or moment.
• NOW
  NOW

  noun

  National Organization for Women.

now

¹ American  

[nau] / naʊ /

adverb

1. at the present time or moment.

   You are now using a dictionary.

2. without further delay; immediately; at once.

   Either do it now or not at all.

3. at this time or juncture in some period under consideration or in some course of proceedings described.

   The case was now ready for the jury.

4. at the time or moment immediately past.

   I saw him just now on the street.

5. in these present times; nowadays.

   Now you rarely see horse-drawn carriages.

6. under the present or existing circumstances; as matters stand.

   I see now what you meant.

7. (used to introduce a statement or question).

   Now, you don't really mean that.

8. (used to strengthen a command, entreaty, or the like).

   Now stop that!

---

conjunction

1. inasmuch as; since.

   Now you're here, why not stay for dinner?

noun

1. the present time or moment.

   Up to now no one has volunteered.

adjective

1. up-to-the-minute; encompassing the latest ideas, fads, or fashions.

   the now look; the now generation.

idioms

1. now and again, occasionally. Also now and then.

2. now that, inasmuch as; since.

   Now that she is rich and famous, she is constantly being besieged by appeals for aid.

NOW ² American  

[nau] / naʊ /

noun

1. National Organization for Women.

---

now British  

/ naʊ /

adverb

1. at or for the present time or moment

2. at this exact moment; immediately

3. in these times; nowadays

4. given the present circumstances

   now we'll have to stay to the end

5. (preceded by just) very recently

   he left just now

6. (often preceded by just) very soon

   he is leaving just now

7. occasionally; on and off

8. for the time being

9. (interjection) an exclamation used to rebuke or pacify someone

10. 1. (sentence connector) used to preface an important remark, the next step in an argument, etc

    2. (interjection) an expression of mild reproof

       now then, don't tease!

---

conjunction

1. seeing that; since it has become the case that

   now you're in charge, things will be better

1. 1. used as a transitional particle or hesitation word

      now, I can't really say

   2. used for emphasis

      now listen to this

   3. used at the end of a command, esp in dismissal

      run along, now

noun

1. the present moment or time

   now is the time to go

adjective

1. informal of the moment; fashionable

   the now look is street fashion

now More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing now

• any day (now)
• every now and then
• here and now
• just now

---

Other Word Forms

• nowness
  noun

Etymology

Origin of now

First recorded before 900; 1965–70 now for def. 11; Middle English; Old English nū, cognate with Old Norse, Gothic nū; akin to German nun, Latin num, Sanskrit nu, Greek nú, nûn

Explanation

Think of now as being the immediate present, the moment you are currently in. It’s part of the elusive concept of time, and each now, as it passes, becomes "then" even as it is replaced by a new now. If someone calls to ask you what you are doing and you reply that you've been waiting tables but you hope to be a movie star and in fact you've saved almost enough bus fare to make it to Hollywood . . . they might interrupt you to explain: "I mean what are you doing right now." In which case you might reply that you're cooking some noodles. If you do something "every now and then," you don't do it all the time but every once in a while.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

now NOW

The mega-rich, impossibly stacked franchise from Chavez Ravine is now just four wins from reaching the World Series for a third consecutive season.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2026

“The real yield on inflation-indexed bonds is now about 3% — a pretty good yield — and I think that inflation pressures carry it forward.”

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 10, 2026

She is now said to be lucid and even walking.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 10, 2026

Greene-Placentia is speaking out now, she said, because “I need to let women know that it’s okay to talk about it.”

From Salon ● Oct. 10, 2026

Some people have been there all day, from early morning until now, just as night is falling.

From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold

The White House is restoring access to reporters from CNN, MS NOW and Politico after a federal judge lifted a ban imposed by President Trump.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026

When MS NOW heads to Arlington, Texas, on Saturday, Sept. 26, for “MS NOW Live: Together in Texas,” host Chris Hayes will be stepping into an environment he finds both familiar and necessary.

From Salon ● Sep. 22, 2026

An MS NOW reporter and a photographer tried entering the White House grounds on Saturday morning, but their badges would not scan and an officer confiscated them, the outlet reported.

From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026

MS NOW wants to offer news viewers a break when they feel overwhelmed.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026

Why don’tcha drop a quarter in his collection box? 5TH JUROR: NOW wait a minute.

From "Twelve Angry Men" by Reginald Rose

Related Words

• today