nowadays

nowadays — adverb

1. used to describe situations or habits that are true or common in the current per

1.adverbB1
Definition

used to describe situations or habits that are true or common in the current period, especially when comparing them with how they were in earlier times

Example

Nowadays, most people carry a phone in their pocket wherever they go.

sentence-initial position

Brian rarely writes letters by hand nowadays; he sends emails instead.

sentence-final position

Synonyms
  • these days

    identical in meaning, equally common in conversation; slightly more casual

  • today

    broader meaning — can refer to the present era in general, not just the current calendar day

  • currently

    more formal; focuses on the ongoing state without the past-comparison nuance

Antonyms
  • in the past

    direct opposite in time reference

  • formerly

    formal antonym, used when a previous state has clearly changed

  • back then

    informal, pointing to a specific earlier period

Grammar Patterns

nowadays + clause

clause + nowadays

Usage Note

Common in spoken and informal-to-neutral written English. In formal academic or professional writing, alternatives such as 'currently' or 'at present' are often preferred.

Common Mistakes

I am working nowadays.
I am currently working.
'nowadays' describes general or repeated situations, not a temporary action happening right now.
People nowadays they use smartphones.
People nowadays use smartphones.
do not add 'they' after 'nowadays'; the subject already covers the noun.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adverb/1

All four refer to the present time, but they differ in register and scope. 'Nowadays' and 'these days' are nearly identical — both draw an implicit contrast with the past and are most at home in conversation and informal writing; 'these days' feels slightly more casual. 'Currently' is more formal and neutral; it describes an ongoing state without inviting a comparison to how things used to be ('The company is currently hiring'). 'Today' has a wider range — it can mean 'on this calendar day' ('I have a meeting today'), but it is also used to mean 'in the present era' ('Young people today face different pressures'). In the contrast-with-the-past sense, 'nowadays' and 'these days' are the clearest choices: 'Back then we wrote letters; nowadays everyone texts.'

nowadays ↗these days ↗currently ↗today ↗

Common collocations

Phrases

  • but nowadays
  • unlike in the past, nowadays
  • nowadays … compared to

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

Formed in Middle English from the phrase 'now a dayes', a genitive construction meaning 'on the present day'. The word was originally written as three separate words and later merged into a single adverb. The genitive ending (-es) was a common way to form adverbs of time in Old and Middle English, as seen in words like 'always' and 'sometimes'.