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.
She said she did not believe such treatment would happen in the same way today, though noted that social media had created different pressures for public figures.
From BBC • May 19, 2026
"You're trying to understand something you've never thought about before. It's a crash course. It's very deep and extended and it's still with me today in many ways."
From BBC • May 19, 2026
As Mr. Dean points out, in the age of sky-high weapons prices and cost-overruns, each U-2 cost less than $1 million, or about $12 million today.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 18, 2026
“Target is among the top names to own in retail today where both sales and margins have upside at an undemanding valuation,” he writes.
From Barron's • May 18, 2026
“Because he was all sour about coming to Nana’s today, and he refused to come outside with me.”
From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison
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.
