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\ ˈnau̇ 
\
\Definition of now
(Entry 1 of 5)
1a : at the present time or moment Now is the time for action.
b : in the time immediately before the present thought of them just now
c : in the time immediately to follow : forthwith come in now
2 —used with the sense of present time weakened or lost to express command, request, or admonitionnow hear thisnow you be sure to write
3 —used with the sense of present time weakened or lost to introduce an important point or indicate a transition (as of ideas)now, this may seem reasonable at first
4 : sometimes now one and now another
5 : under the present circumstances Since my plan has failed, we must now try his.
6 : at the time referred to now the trouble began
7 : by this time has been teaching now for twenty years
now
conjunctionDefinition of now (Entry 2 of 5)
: in view of the fact that : since —often followed by thatnow that we are here
now
nounDefinition of now (Entry 3 of 5)
: the present time or moment been ill up to now
now
adjectiveDefinition of now (Entry 4 of 5)
1 : of or relating to the present time : existing the now president
2a : excitingly new now clothes
b : constantly aware of what is new now people the now generation
NOW
abbreviationDefinition of NOW (Entry 5 of 5)
National Organization for Women
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Synonyms & Antonyms for now
Synonyms: Adverb
Synonyms: Conjunction
- 'cause,
- as,
- as long as,
- because,
- being (as or as how or that)
- [chiefly dialect],
- considering,
- for,
- inasmuch as,
- seeing,
- since,
- whereas
Synonyms: Noun
Synonyms: Adjective
- au courant,
- cool
- [slang],
- def
- [slang],
- downtown,
- groovy,
- hep,
- hip,
- in,
- mod,
- trendy,
- turned-on,
- with-it
Antonyms: Adverb
Antonyms: Adjective
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Examples of now in a Sentence
Adverb We were having trouble before, but everything's okay now. I'm feeling much better now, thank you. I love you now and I'll love you forever. Now's the time for action. “And now,” he said, “all we have to do is wait.” “Can we talk?” “Not now. I'm really busy.” He knows now that he was wrong. Police have now identified the man who they believe stole the car. Scientists now believe that the bones belong to a different species of reptile. the now famous photograph of an American sailor kissing his young wife Conjunction Now you mention it, I am kind of hungry. I'll repeat my question now that you are paying attention. Noun A lot of things can happen between now and then. The kids are supposed to be in bed by now. That's enough for now, but we may need some more later. Things are fine for now. Fifty years from now you'll be telling your grandchildren about this day. She's due back a week from now. We'll be here from now until November. From now on, no one can use my car without my permission. Adjective questioned the moral values of the now generation
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Recent Examples on the Web: Adverb Mainland secret police can now operate in Hong Kong. — The Economist, "Politics this week," 4 July 2020 The first concert is July 9 at 7 p.m. Reservations are required, and $25 tickets can be purchased now. — Kirby Adams, The Courier-Journal, "Do you miss travel? Here are 5 single-day outdoor excursions within an hour of Louisville," 3 July 2020 As the rest of America grapples with what to do now, how to channel the rage and frustration and embarrassment of the last month into real change, Moore is way ahead. — Nancy Armour, USA TODAY, "Opinion: Like Muhammad Ali, Maya Moore was willing to sacrifice her career for what's right," 3 July 2020 Months after advocacy organizations began pleading for COVID-19 protections and health officials began advising everyone cover their faces in public, Arizona inmates are now receiving masks. — Lauren Castle, The Arizona Republic, "Arizona inmates now have masks, prison officials say," 3 July 2020 Chat starts on Jul 09, 2020 at 12:00 PM EDT Send in your questions now! — The Washington Post, "Color of Money Live with tax expert Eric Bronnenkant," 3 July 2020 The schedule will now be announced following the semistate games. — Kyle Neddenriep, The Indianapolis Star, "New state finals schedule coming for Indiana high school football, eight-man up for vote," 3 July 2020 Previously, employees at two vendors at the Milwaukee Public Market tested positive; the market now requires all customers to wear masks. — Carol Deptolla, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Screaming Tuna in Walker's Point closes for now after a staffer contracts COVID-19," 3 July 2020 Experts are now planning the next stage of their research, which will involve scientific analysis of the human remains. — Fox News, "The hunt for Red Hugh: The search for a 16th-century Irish chieftain's bones continues in Spain," 3 July 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun The see-now-buy-now collection included jewelry, eyewear, shoes and clothing. — Washington Post, "Dior celebrates nature to kick off Paris Fashion Week," 24 Sep. 2019 The see-now-buy-now collection included jewelry, eyewear, shoes and clothing. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Dior celebrates nature to kick off Paris Fashion Week," 24 Sep. 2019 The Model 3 now starts at $38,990, according to Tesla’s website. — Los Angeles Times, "Tesla’s latest Model 3 price cut reinforces doubts about demand for its vehicles," 16 July 2019 In Augustine’s formulation, a faithful person doesn’t merely forget the past, that collection of dead nows. — Christian Wiman, WSJ, "‘A Primer for Forgetting’ Review: The Past Need Not Be Prologue," 21 June 2019 Dubbed 'Tommy x Zendaya,' the duo's first see-now, buy-now collection is slated to debut on March 2 at Paris Fashion Week, WWD reports. — Lauren Alexis Fisher, Harper's BAZAAR, "Zendaya and Tommy Hilfiger to Debut First Collaboration at Paris Fashion Week," 8 Jan. 2019 There will also be a Tommy x Zendaya capsule collection to drop in a see-now-buy-now runway show in February. — Brooke Bobb, Vogue, "Tommy x Zendaya—It’s Happening!," 16 Oct. 2018 Not only that, her son, Miles, is gay, which at first was problematic given their Southern-religious upbringing but nows seems to be OK. — Christopher Rosa, Glamour, "The First Episode of Queer Eye Season 2 Is More Emotional Than All of Season 1," 15 June 2018 Model 3 now has improved ride comfort, lower wind noise & many other small improvements. — Megan Geuss, Ars Technica, "Musk: Shipping base-price Model 3 at this point would cause Tesla to lose money," 22 May 2018 Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective And the nearly 80-year-old McKellen seems to have thoughtful perspectives on all of it, drawing upon his dedication to live theater, his groundbreaking advocacy work for LGBTQA rights in the UK, and his now generation-spanning appeal. — Nathan Mattise, Ars Technica, "In new documentary, Ian McKellen reflects on Magneto, Gandalf," 8 July 2018 And the nearly 80-year-old McKellen seems to have thoughtful perspectives on all of it, drawing upon his dedication to live theater, his groundbreaking advocacy work for LGBTQA rights in the UK, and his now generation-spanning appeal. — Nathan Mattise, Ars Technica, "In new documentary, Ian McKellen reflects on Magneto, Gandalf," 8 July 2018 LONG POND, Pa. — NASCAR’s next generation has become the now generation. — Ellen J. Horrow, USA TODAY, "With first win, Ryan Blaney helping usher in NASCAR future right now," 12 June 2017
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'now.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for now
now
adverbEnglish Language Learners Definition of now
(Entry 1 of 3)
: at the present time
: in the next moment : very soon
: in the present situation
now
conjunctionEnglish Language Learners Definition of now (Entry 2 of 3)
: since something is true : because of the fact that something happened
now
nounEnglish Language Learners Definition of now (Entry 3 of 3)
: the present time or moment
See the full definition for now in the English Language Learners Dictionary
now
adverb\ ˈnau̇ \
\Kids Definition of now
(Entry 1 of 3)
1 : at this time I am busy now.
2 : immediately before the present time They left just now.
3 : in the time immediately to follow Can you leave now?
4 —used to express command or introduce an important pointNow, you listen to me.
5 : sometimes now one and now another
6 : in the present circumstances Now what should we do?
7 : at the time referred to Now the trouble began.
now and then
: from time to time : occasionally
now
conjunctionKids Definition of now (Entry 2 of 3)
: in view of the fact that : since Now that we're all here, let's begin.
now
nounKids Definition of now (Entry 3 of 3)
: the present time I've been busy up till now.
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Comments on now
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Time Traveler for now
The first known use of now was before the 12th century
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