Standard Lemma guide

nowness

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The property of happening now, or relating to the present time.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: human-sciences, philosophy, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

the quality of being the present- R.E.Spiller

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a study of the pastness of the present and...of the presentness of the past

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: presentness

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: timing

Narrower terms: currentness, currency, up-to-dateness

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English now Proto-Germanic *-inōną Proto-Indo-European *-dyé- Proto-Germanic *-atjaną Proto-Indo-European *-tus Proto-Germanic *-þuz Proto-Germanic *-assuz Proto-Germanic *-inassuz Proto-West Germanic *-nassī Old English -nes Middle English -nesse English -ness English nowness From now + -ness.