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now

n. time
A1 Beginner Oxford US //ˈnaʊ// UK //nˈaʊ// now Archaic General-service Informal

n. at this exact moment or in the very near future. You use it to talk about what is happening right this second.

n. at the present time or moment; immediately. Often used to contrast current circumstances with past or future states.


SIMPLE

I am busy right now but I can help you later.

CONTEXTUAL

The manager needs the report on her desk now because the meeting starts in five minutes.

COMPLEX

While the long-term strategy remains unchanged, the immediate priority is to address the logistical bottlenecks that are affecting our supply chain now.

Synonyms
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.

Usage

Typically placed at the end of a clause or after the verb 'to be'. In formal writing, it may appear at the beginning of a sentence for emphasis.

Idioms9 entries

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