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nowadays

Etymology and origin of the English word nowadays

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Compound
First attested
before 1376

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ˈnaʊ.ə.deɪz/[1]

Etymology

It is Middle English nou adayes, nowadayes,[2][3][4] from now and adayes, during the day,[2][3] originally a dayes, a phrase of a, on, and dayes, the genitive of dai, day.[3][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

At present, in these times: before 1376, in Piers Plowman;[3] the late 14th century in Etymonline, as a contraction of the mid-14th-century phrase.[2]

Semantic evolution

The parallel then-adays, at that time, is attested from the 1680s but is less common.[2] MWU also records a shorter nowaday.[4]

Timeline

  • mid-14th century – nou adayes.[2]
  • before 1376 – nowadayes.[3]
  • 1680s – then-adays.[2]

Modern meaning

Adverb

  1. In the present time; these days.
  • now
  • day
  • adays

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  3. ^ a b c d e Barnhart, Robert K. (1988), The Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology
  4. ^ a b Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  5. ^ Collins English Dictionary (2023), Glasgow: HarperCollins
Cite this entry

“Nowadays.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/nowadays. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·