until now

USAGE SUMMARY

"until now" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
It is used to refer to something that has happened, is true, or has been the case up to the present time. For example, "I have never been to Europe until now."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

Until now.

The New York Times

Until now..

Huffington Post

That is, until now.

Emerging Infectious Diseases

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "until now" to highlight a change or a realization that has only recently occurred. It adds emphasis to the current situation in contrast to the past.

Common error

Avoid using "until now" when referring to a future state. It strictly refers to the period leading up to the present moment, not what will happen next.

Linguistic Context

The adverbial phrase "until now" functions as a temporal marker, indicating a point of change or a realization that has occurred at the present moment, contrasting with the past. As Ludwig AI confirms, it refers to something that has happened, is true, or has been the case up to the present time.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

66%

Science

33%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "until now" is a temporal adverbial phrase used to emphasize a change or realization that has occurred at the present moment. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness and common usage to refer to something that has been true up to the present. While versatile, it's important to use it accurately to reflect a past-to-present transition. Found primarily in News & Media and Science contexts, as evidenced by examples from sources like The New York Times and Huffington Post, "until now" provides a useful way to highlight shifts and new developments in various scenarios.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

up until now

Adds emphasis to the temporal boundary.

until this moment

Similar to "until now" but more emphatic.

up to this point

Replaces "now" with "this point", maintaining the temporal boundary.

before now

Emphasizes the contrast between the past and the present moment.

heretofore

A more formal and concise way to say "until now".

thus far

Indicates progress up to the present.

previously

Indicates a contrast to the present situation.

to date

A more formal alternative, often used in business contexts.

in the past

Highlights the time before the current situation.

as of late

Focuses on the recent past leading to the present.

FAQs

How can I use "until now" in a sentence?

Use "until now" to indicate that something has been true or has been happening up to the present moment. For instance, "I had never seen snow "until now"."

What's a more formal alternative to "until now"?

A more formal alternative to "until now" is "heretofore". It's often used in legal or official documents.

Is there a difference between "until now" and "up until now"?

The difference between "until now" and "up until now" is minimal. "Up until now" simply adds extra emphasis.

What can I say instead of "until now" to emphasize a recent change?

To emphasize a recent change, consider using phrases like "as of late" or "recently", which highlight the recency of the shift.