Nowadays has 3 different meanings across 2 categories:
Noun
· Adverb
Noun
1
the period of time that is happening now; any continuous stretch of time including the moment of speech
"that is enough for the present"
"he lives in the present with no thought of tomorrow"
Adverb
1
in these times
"it is solely by their language that the upper classes nowadays are distinguished"
"we now rarely see horse-drawn vehicles on city streets"
"today almost every home has television"
2
At the present time; in the current era.
"Nowadays, most people use smartphones to navigate their daily lives instead of paper maps."
In plain English: Nowadays means these days, referring to what is happening right now instead of how things used to be back then.
"Nowadays, people send birthday greetings via text message instead of writing letters."
Usage: Nowadays often implies a contrast with past habits, whereas simply saying "currently" or "at present" states a fact without that comparative nuance. Avoid using nowadays to refer to specific recent moments; reserve it for general observations about the modern era.
Example Sentences
"Nowadays, people send birthday greetings via text message instead of writing letters."
adv
"Nowadays people rely heavily on smartphones for navigation."
adv
"It is much easier to work from home nowadays than it used to be."
adv
"People spend far more time scrolling through social media these days."
adv
Broader Terms (hypernyms)
Narrower Terms (hyponyms)
Origin
This word is a combination of now and days, formed to mean "in these days." It entered English as a straightforward compound phrase describing the present time period.