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
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.
Ordering a turbine today means getting it delivered five or more years later.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 23, 2026
Throughout the 2010s, DeepMind achieved a series of AI breakthroughs this way, and the lab continues to explore game-driven AI research today.
From MarketWatch • May 23, 2026
"I'm just grateful the doctor took action when he did because I think if we hadn't rang when we did or we hadn't been taken seriously, she might not have been here today."
From BBC • May 23, 2026
The statement concluded: “NASCAR lost a giant of the sport today, far too soon.”
From Los Angeles Times • May 22, 2026
“For your photograph. Get it taken today, and buy as many prints as you can.”
From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu
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.
