now
adverb
at the present time or moment.
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now
1 American
[nou]
/ naʊ /
adverb
-
at the present time or moment.
You are now using a dictionary.
-
without further delay; immediately; at once.
Either do it now or not at all.
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at this time or juncture in some period under consideration or in some course of proceedings described.
The case was now ready for the jury.
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at the time or moment immediately past.
I saw him just now on the street.
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in these present times; nowadays.
Now you rarely see horse-drawn carriages.
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under the present or existing circumstances; as matters stand.
I see now what you meant.
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(used to introduce a statement or question).
Now, you don't really mean that.
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(used to strengthen a command, entreaty, or the like).
Now stop that!
conjunction
noun
adjective
idioms
-
now and again, occasionally. Also now and then.
-
now that, inasmuch as; since.
Now that she is rich and famous, she is constantly being besieged by appeals for aid.
NOW
2
American
[nou]
/ naʊ /
noun
now
British
/ naʊ /
adverb
-
at or for the present time or moment
-
at this exact moment; immediately
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in these times; nowadays
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given the present circumstances
now we'll have to stay to the end
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(preceded by just) very recently
he left just now
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(often preceded by just) very soon
he is leaving just now
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occasionally; on and off
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for the time being
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(interjection) an exclamation used to rebuke or pacify someone
-
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(sentence connector) used to preface an important remark, the next step in an argument, etc
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(interjection) an expression of mild reproof
now then, don't tease!
-
conjunction
noun
adjective
now
More Idioms
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of now
First recorded before 900; 1965–70 now for def. 11; Middle English; Old English nū, cognate with Old Norse, Gothic nū; akin to German nun, Latin num, Sanskrit nu, Greek nú, nûn
Explanation
Think of now as being the immediate present, the moment you are currently in. It’s part of the elusive concept of time, and each now, as it passes, becomes "then" even as it is replaced by a new now. If someone calls to ask you what you are doing and you reply that you've been waiting tables but you hope to be a movie star and in fact you've saved almost enough bus fare to make it to Hollywood . . . they might interrupt you to explain: "I mean what are you doing right now." In which case you might reply that you're cooking some noodles. If you do something "every now and then," you don't do it all the time but every once in a while.
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:
“The two of you now, as one flesh, should create a family that devotes itself to the nation and its people,” Lee told them.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
“If people had a lot of success for a long time in one set of motions and tasks, then you’ve got to now teach them how to do this in a different way,” he said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
Alphabet's spending on AI is now expected to hit as much as $205bn this year, an increase from $190bn, as major tech companies race to build around a new wave of the technology.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
Umer, the cattle herder in Afar, said he was worried that an outbreak of disease could start killing his adult camels anytime now.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
He’s taller than me, so we’re at eye level now.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
ServiceNow NOW -6.47%decrease; down pointing triangle posted higher revenue in the second quarter and narrowed its outlook range.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
In a recent interview with MS NOW, Talarico said he “welcomed” a debate on masculinity, saying: “That seems to be what they want to talk about, so let’s talk about it.”
From Salon ● Jul. 13, 2026
Peter Alexander, former chief White House correspondent for NBC News, is joining MS NOW as a morning anchor later this year.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026
Hylton’s co-hosts Ayman Mohyeldin, Catherine Rampell, and Elise Jordan, will remain with MS NOW and continue to appear on other programs.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 26, 2026
AND NOW he stood at the end of the long part of the lake and was not the same, would not be die same again.
From "Hatchet" by Gary Paulsen
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.