What does "now" mean?
The present time.
Now
/naʊ/ adj, adv, conj, intj, name, noun, verb, slang
adj, adv, conj, intj, name, noun, verb, slang ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The present time.
- Grammar: now is listed as adj, adv, conj, intj, name, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: a la mode, advanced, ahead of its time, all at once.
- Useful contrasts: erstwhile, far, quondam.
- Usage evidence: If the world weren't in the shape it is now, I could trust anyone.
How to use "now"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "now" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "now" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "now" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "now" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "now" is acting as adj, adv, conj, intj, name, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "a la mode" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "now", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The present time. uncountable, usually
"Now is the right time."
- 2 Acronym of negotiable order of withdrawal (“an instrument similar to a check”). US, abbreviation, acronym, alt-of
- 3 the momentary present wordnet
- 4 The state of not paying attention to the future or the past. often, uncountable, usually
"She is living in the now."
- 5 A particular instant in time, as perceived at that instant. countable, usually
"Forever is composed of Nows— / 'T is not a different time, / Except for infiniteness / And latitude of home."
Verb
- 1 Misspelling of know. alt-of, misspelling
"I don't now."
Adjective
- 1 Present; current. not-comparable
"[…] to my now wife Mabell, my child Elisabeth, & my child now begotten, &c., and they to be joint Exõrs, & if all die, then the same jointly to my brother William Every & my sisters Sarah Skibbowe & Joan Brice.}}"
- 2 Fashionable; popular; up to date; current. informal, not-comparable
"I think this band's sound is very now."
Adverb
- 1 At the present time. not-comparable
"Now I am six."
- 2 Used to introduce a point, a qualification of what has previously been said, a remonstration or a rebuke. not-comparable
"Now, we all want what is best for our children."
- 3 Differently from the immediate past; differently from a more remote past or a possible future; differently from all other times. not-comparable
"Now I am ready."
- 4 At the time reached within a narration. not-comparable
"Now he remembered why he had come."
- 5 Used to indicate a context of urgency. not-comparable
"Now listen, we must do something about this."
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 At the present point of a recurring cycle or event. informal, not-comparable
"I always used to do my shopping now, to avoid the rush."
- 7 Very recently; not long ago; up to the present. not-comparable, obsolete
"They that but now, for honour and for plate, / Made the sea blush with blood, resign their hate."
- 8 Used to address a switching side, or sharp change in attitude from before. not-comparable
"Now, you want to protect me. An hour ago, you were mercilessly bullying me!"
- 9 Sometimes; occasionally; used to list a series of often assumed states. not-comparable
"His face fit his roles: now smiling, now earnest, now glowering, now raging."
Adverb
- 1 in these times wordnet
- 2 without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening wordnet
- 3 used to preface a command or reproof or request wordnet
- 4 at the present moment wordnet
- 5 in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events wordnet
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 in the immediate past wordnet
- 7 (prefatory or transitional) indicates a change of subject or activity wordnet
Conjunction
- 1 Since, because, in light of the fact. often
"Now all the children have grown up and left, the house is very quiet."
Intj
- 1 Indicates a signal to begin.
"Now! Fire all we've got while the enemy is in reach!"
Proper Noun
- 1 Acronym of National Organization for Women, an American feminist organization. US, abbreviation, acronym, alt-of
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"If the world weren't in the shape it is now, I could trust anyone."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "now"?
Common synonyms include: a la mode, advanced, ahead of its time, all at once, all together, anyhow.
How do you use "now" in a sentence?
If the world weren't in the shape it is now, I could trust anyone.
How do you pronounce "now"?
Pronounced /naʊ/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English now, nou, nu, from Old English nū, from Proto-West Germanic *nū, from Proto-Germanic *nu, from Proto-Indo-European *nū (“now”). Doublet of nu ("well?"). Cognates Cognate with Scots noo, nou, now (“now”), Yola neow, now, nowe (“now”), North Frisian nü (“now”), Saterland Frisian nu (“now”), West Frisian no (“now”), Dutch nu, nou (“now”), German nu, nun (“now”), Limburgish noe, Nuu (“now”), Danish, Swedish nu (“now”), Elfdalian nų (“now”), Faroese nú, núgv (“now”), Icelandic nú, núna (“now”), Norwegian Bokmål nu, nå (“now”), Norwegian Nynorsk no, nu, nå (“now”), Gothic 𐌽𐌿 (nu, “now”), Latin num (“even now, whether”), Latin nunc (“now”), Albanian ni (“now”), Lithuanian nù (“now”), Avestan 𐬥𐬏 (nū, “now”), Sanskrit नु (nu, “now”).
Etymology 2
See know.