until now
AdverbUsed to describe a situation that has existed up to the present moment, often in negative or restrictive statements to emphasize that something has not happened or changed so far.
The phrase "until now" is used to mark a temporal boundary, indicating that a state or action is true for all time leading up to the present moment, but may change immediately after. It is frequently used with the present perfect tense to connect past circumstances to the current moment.
- Negative Statement: (This means the instructions have just arrived.)
- Restrictive Statement: (This implies a new, better solution has just been found or presented.)
- With Present Perfect: (The smooth running is true for the period leading to this point.)
- "Up until now": This is a common variant that adds slight emphasis but has the same meaning.
- Up until now, we have managed to avoid major problems.
- Contrast with the Present: The phrase often implicitly contrasts the past with a new present reality.
- I was afraid of flying, but until now, I had never tried it. (The implication is that the person has just tried flying or is about to.)
- So far: Similar in meaning, but more neutral and less emphatic about a change at the present moment. ("So far, so good.")
- Hitherto: A formal synonym meaning "until now" or "until this time."
- Thus far: A slightly more formal equivalent to "so far."
- Up to now
- So far
- Thus far
- Hitherto (formal)
- Heretofore (formal)
- From now on
- Henceforth
- Hereafter
The core function of "until now" is to establish the present moment as a point of change. Its use typically signals that the situation described is no longer true or is being reevaluated at the very moment of speaking. It is less commonly used for simply stating a continuing fact; "so far" is often preferred for that purpose.
- used in negative statement to describe a situation that has existed up to this point or up to the present time
- So far he hasn't called
- the sun isn't up yet