What is the opposite word of nowadays

The most direct opposite of nowadays (meaning "in the present time" or "currently") is back then, formerly, in the past, in those days, or once upon a time—phrases referring to previous times rather than the present. More formal single-word opposites include formerly (in earlier times), previously (at an earlier time), once (at some time in the past), or archaic terms like erstwhile or heretofore. Phrases like "in olden times,""in days gone by," or "long ago" work for the more distant past.

The challenge with opposing "nowadays" is that it's inherently temporal and specific to the present moment, while the past spans enormous duration. You might oppose "nowadays" with specific past references depending on how far back you mean: "in the 1990s,""in my childhood,""a generation ago,""in ancient times," or "historically" all reference different past periods. Context determines precision: "Nowadays, we use smartphones; back then, we used landlines" (recent past); "Nowadays, we understand germs; in earlier centuries, people blamed bad air" (distant past). If you want to contrast present and past generally, "nowadays" versus "traditionally" or "historically" works well: "Nowadays, remote work is common; traditionally, everyone worked in offices." The opposition emphasizes temporal change from past practices or conditions to current ones.