sometime

[suhm-tahym]

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.

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

/ ˈsʌmˌtaɪm /

adverb

1. at some unspecified point of time

adjective

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

   the sometime President

2. (prenominal) occasional; infrequent

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 )

Spelling Note

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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of sometime¹

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

Example Sentences

The Supreme Court will likely weigh in on the issue sometime in the next year or so.

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I hope to hear it played again, somewhere, sometime—and to find some more answers.

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As we wait for Apple’s Siri to catch up—and we’re hoping for news sometime next year—here are the three big changes coming to our homes right now.

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But sometime over this last winter — that numbing, hoary stretch between mid-February and March — I decided this might be the year to reclaim a bit of seasonal delight.

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“Somebody, sometime, has got to take a stand and say democracy cannot survive, much less thrive with the level of big corporate and big government interference and intimidation in news.”

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Related Words

• late 
• once 
• periodically 
• someday