Meanings
adverbreal soon now (not comparable)
- informalnot comparableDesignating a time when something will become available, supposedly (but perhaps only optimistically) in the near future.
Synonyms: RSN
Synonyms & antonyms
adverbDesignating a time when something will become available, supposedly (but perhaps only optimistically) in the near future.
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Origin
From the information technology community, popularized by Jerry Pournelle's Chaos Manor column in BYTE magazine.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
real soon now. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/real%20soon%20now
MLA
“real soon now.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/real%20soon%20now. Accessed November 5, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “real soon now,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/real%20soon%20now.
Source: real soon now on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.