until now

/ənˈtɪl naʊ/
phraseIntermediate up to the present time
formalinformal

up to the present time; so far

She has been working on the project until now.

This indicates that she has been working on the project up to the current moment.

Until now, we didn't know the truth.

This means that the truth was unknown before the present time.

💡

This phrase is commonly used to refer to a time period leading up to the present moment.

Collocations

until nowup to the present timeuntil this pointup to this moment

Related Phrases

up to nowphrase
up to the present time
so farphrase
up to this point in time

💡Pro Tip

Usage in Time Expressions

'Until now' is often used to contrast past actions with the present. For example, 'I didn't know until now' implies that the speaker now knows something they didn't know before.

Gold Rule

Temporal Context

Always use 'until now' to refer to a time period that includes the present moment. Do not use it to refer to future events.

📖Word Origin

The phrase 'until now' is a combination of the preposition 'until' and the noun 'now', both of which are Old English in origin.

📝Usage Notes

This phrase is used to indicate a time period that includes all moments leading up to the present. It can be used in both formal and informal contexts.

Word Breakdown

until
up to the time of
preposition
+
now
the present time
noun
English Dictionary