today
Americannoun
-
this present day.
Today is beautiful.
-
this present time or age.
the world of today.
adverb
-
on this present day.
I will do it today.
-
at the present time; in these days.
Today you seldom see horses.
adjective
noun
-
this day, as distinct from yesterday or tomorrow
-
the present age
children of today
adverb
-
during or on this day
-
nowadays
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of today
First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English tō dæg; see to, day
Explanation
Use today to mean this day, right now—not yesterday, and not tomorrow. If your big science project is due today and you haven't even started, you'd better get busy! Today can also mean "at the present period of time." When someone says, "Kids spend too much time online today," they mean "nowadays," or "lately," not literally on this exact day. Before the 16th century, today was two separate words, to day, and then for another three hundred years or so, it was hyphenated: to-day. But today, we simply use today.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
"We have to take the results and go into games like we did today, but hopefully finish it."
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
This one, for reasons I can’t say I fully understand, skipped all that and went into effect immediately—as of today.
From Slate ● Jul. 28, 2026
Most scientists today view it as a neurodevelopmental disorder, and clinicians debate whether the protean manifestations of schizophrenia are all part of a discrete biological phenomenon.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
Read: The rising cost of capital for companies today is starting to spook the stock market: ‘The worry is the spending might not pay off’
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
My trunk wouldn’t be delivered to the hotel for another few days so I’d planned to wear this uniform again today.
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
The Glenwood Fire Department in Minnesota posted, “Please keep the blue lights shining to show our support of not only our local law enforcement, but also those affected by todays events!”
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 14, 2023
Sending love to all impacted by todays news and by how that news was delivered.
From BBC ● May 2, 2022
“Competitive products at a similar entry level price-point are offering up to a maximum of 4GB of VRAM, which is evidently not enough for todays games.”
From The Verge ● Jan. 19, 2022
“We must water our todays for brighter tomorrows,” Konshens says, reciting a motto that has guided his work as a self-described “edutainer” who balances his passion for music with a commitment to community outreach.
From Washington Post ● Jul. 17, 2020
“Maybe,” Cady said slowly, glancing outside at the beautifully foggy morning, “maybe todays the day I’ll meet my family.”
From "A Tangle of Knots" by Lisa Graff
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
