To This Day vs. To This Date – Which is Correct?

Both expressions are grammatically correct, but they are not equally natural. “To this day” is the standard idiom for something continuing or remaining true until now. “To this date” is formal and date-focused, meaning “up to now” or “up to a specified date.” Choose based on tone and reference point.

To This Day or To This Date: Which Is Correct?

Both “to this day” and “to this date” are correct English phrases, but they serve different purposes.

To this day is the familiar, idiomatic expression. It means that something has continued from the past until the present. It is common in conversation, personal writing, storytelling, journalism, and general nonfiction.

To this date is also valid, but it sounds more formal and emphasizes a specific point in time. It is especially common in official records, business writing, legal documents, research, and historical summaries. In many everyday sentences, “to this day” sounds more natural.

The Best Trick to Remember the Difference

Use “to this day” when you are talking about a continuing feeling, event, belief, habit, or mystery. Think of day as ordinary life continuing right up to today.

Use “to this date” when you are mentally pointing to a date on a calendar or referring to an official cutoff point. If the sentence could naturally include “as of this date,” “to this date” may be appropriate.

How to Use To This Day

To this day describes something that remains true, continues, or is still remembered in the present. It often appears at the beginning or end of a sentence and can express strong emotion, persistence, admiration, regret, or uncertainty.

The phrase is neutral in tone and works well in both casual and formal writing. It is particularly natural when discussing memories, traditions, unresolved questions, lasting effects, and long-term beliefs.

Example 1: To this day, I remember the sound of the old clock.

Example 2: The cause of the disappearance remains unknown to this day.

Example 3: Her advice continues to guide me to this day.

Etymology of the Phrase To This Day

The phrase is formed from the preposition to, the demonstrative determiner this, and the noun day. It developed from the straightforward idea of continuing up to the present day. Over time, it became a well-established English idiom for describing something that remains true or ongoing.

How to Use To This Date

To this date means “up to now” or “up to a particular date.” It is grammatically correct, but it is less conversational than “to this day.” The word date gives the expression a more administrative, documentary, or chronological tone.

Use this phrase when the exact timing matters or when writing about records, applications, payments, investigations, research findings, official decisions, or historical developments. In formal documents, “to this date” may be interchangeable with “as of this date,” although “as of this date” is often more idiomatic in official prose.

Example 1: To this date, the committee has received 248 applications.

Example 2: No payment has been recorded to this date.

Example 3: To this date, researchers have found no evidence supporting the claim.

Etymology of the Phrase To This Date

To this date combines the preposition to, the demonstrative word this, and the noun date. The noun date comes through Old French from Latin data, meaning “given,” referring originally to the date given on a document. The phrase retains that documentary and chronological association.

Related Concepts

Understanding the difference between idiomatic time expressions and date-based expressions makes it easier to choose the most natural phrase.

• Time adverbials: These are words or phrases that indicate when an action occurs or how long a condition continues. “To this day” and “to this date” both function as time adverbials.
• Idiomatic expressions: An idiom is a conventional expression whose wording has become fixed through common usage. “To this day” is more strongly idiomatic than “to this date.”
• As of: “As of” introduces a point in time from which information is measured. “As of August 10, 2026” is often more precise than “to this date” in an official document.
• Until now: This phrase directly emphasizes continuation up to the present and can often replace “to this day,” although it may sound less literary or expressive.

Examples from Media and Literature

Both expressions appear in published writing, but their distribution and tone are different.

• Personal memoirs: A writer may say, “To this day, I can still picture the house where I grew up,” emphasizing a vivid, lasting memory.
• Historical writing: A historian may write, “The origin of the tradition remains debated to this day,” highlighting an unresolved question that continues into the present.
• News reporting: A report may use “to this day” when describing a mystery, investigation, or public controversy that remains unresolved.
• Business communication: An official report may state, “To this date, the organization has completed 72 percent of the project,” emphasizing a measured status point.
• Legal or administrative writing: A notice may use “to this date” to identify the latest point at which a payment, filing, response, or decision has been recorded.

Practice Exercises

Choose the correct phrase to complete each sentence: to this day or to this date.

1. _____ I still keep the letter my grandmother sent me.
2. _____ the agency has not released its final findings.
3. The identity of the author remains unknown _____.
4. _____ the company has received 1,500 registrations.
5. He remembers the experience clearly _____.

Answer Key

1. To this day — This refers to a lasting personal memory.
2. To this date — This has a formal, official-reporting tone.
3. to this day — This describes an unresolved matter that remains true now.
4. To this date — This reports a measurable total at a particular point.
5. to this day — This describes a continuing memory.

To This Day Synonyms

To This Date Synonyms

Frequently Asked Questions

Question 1: Is “to this day” or “to this date” correct?
Both are correct. “To this day” is the more natural general expression for something that continues until now, while “to this date” is more formal and emphasizes a particular date or reporting point.

Question 2: Is “to this date” grammatically correct?
Yes. “To this date” is grammatically correct, although it is less common in casual conversation. It is suitable for formal, legal, business, academic, and administrative writing.

Question 3: Can “to this day” and “to this date” be used interchangeably?
Sometimes, but not always. Both can mean “until now,” yet “to this day” usually focuses on continued truth or memory, whereas “to this date” focuses on a chronological or official reference point.

Question 4: Should I use “as of this date” instead of “to this date”?
In official or business writing, “as of this date” is often the clearest choice when reporting information at a specific point in time. “To this date” is also acceptable, depending on the sentence.

Question 5: Is “to date” the same as “to this date”?
They are closely related. “To date” commonly means “up to now,” as in “The study has produced five findings to date.” “To this date” is more explicit and can sound more formal or date-specific.

Conclusion

“To this day” and “to this date” are both valid expressions. Choose “to this day” for natural, idiomatic references to memories, beliefs, mysteries, or conditions that continue until now. Choose “to this date” for formal records, reports, and situations involving a specific chronological reference point. Pro tip: Selecting the expression that matches your intended tone and degree of precision helps your professional writing sound polished and authoritative.