sometime

American  

[suhm-tahym] / ˈsʌmˌtaɪm /

adverb

1. at some indefinite or indeterminate point of time.

   He will arrive sometime next week.

2. at an indefinite future time.

   Come to see me sometime.

3. Archaic. sometimes; on some occasions.

4. Archaic. at one time; formerly.

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adjective

1. having been formerly; former.

   The diplomat was a sometime professor of history at Oxford.

2. being so only at times or to some extent.

   Traveling so much, he could never be more than a sometime husband.

3. that cannot be depended upon regarding affections or loyalties.

   He was well rid of his sometime girlfriend.

sometime British  

/ ˈsʌmˌtaɪm /

adverb

1. at some unspecified point of time

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adjective

1. (prenominal) having been at one time; former

   the sometime President

2. (prenominal) occasional; infrequent

Spelling

The adverb sometime is written as one word: He promised to paint the garage sometime soon. The two-word form some time means “an unspecified interval or period of time”: It will take some time for the wounds to heal.

Usage

The form sometime should not be used to refer to a fairly long period of time: he has been away for some time (not for sometime )

Etymology

Origin of sometime

Middle English word dating back to 1250–1300; some, time

Example Sentences

Their base case is for a new record sometime in the third quarter.

From Barron's

“Maybe I’ll go on an adventure with you sometime, but if I do, I’m coming back here.”

From Literature

Please keep an eye out for the next Times subscriber hike, which will be sometime in the spring.

From Los Angeles Times

That means the halftime show will begin sometime between 5 and 5:30 p.m.

From Los Angeles Times

“Well,” Malone replied, “we don’t know. But these earthquakes are continuing. So, sometime. Maybe. There could.”

From Literature

Related Words

• late
• once
• periodically
• someday