today

American  

[tuh-dey] / təˈdeɪ /

noun

1. this present day.

   Today is beautiful.

2. this present time or age.

   the world of today.

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adverb

1. on this present day.

   I will do it today.

2. at the present time; in these days.

   Today you seldom see horses.

adjective

1. Informal. of the present era; up-to-date.

   the today look in clothing styles.

today British  

/ təˈdeɪ /

noun

1. this day, as distinct from yesterday or tomorrow

2. the present age

   children of today

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adverb

1. during or on this day

2. nowadays

today Idioms  

1. see here today, gone tomorrow.

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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

"But virtual parents will ask me whether I am happy today."

From BBC • Jun. 13, 2026

For everyday investors, meanwhile, the question is whether a hot company “going public” today represents a good investment opportunity.

From Salon • Jun. 13, 2026

We’ve got five months to visit and revisit these topics, and today I’m going to focus on the first, so here we go.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 13, 2026

But credit-card debt today isn’t like it was then.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 13, 2026

That’s why I couldn’t hide my annoyed surprise when he told us that he needed our help here again today.

From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam

Related Words

• contemporary
• current
• modernized
• present-day
• state-of-the-art
• stylish