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Synonyms

since

American  
[sins] / sɪns /

adverb

  1. from then till now (often preceded byever ).

    He was elected in 1978 and has been president ever since.

  2. between a particular past time and the present; subsequently.

    She at first refused, but has since consented.

  3. before now; ago.

    long since.

preposition

  1. continuously from or counting from.

    It has been warm since noon.

  2. between a past time or event and the present.

    There have been many changes since the war.

conjunction

  1. in the period following the time when.

    He has written once since he left.

  2. continuously from or counting from the time when.

    He has been busy since he came.

  3. because; inasmuch as.

    Since you're already here, you might as well stay.
since British  
/ sɪns /

preposition

  1. during or throughout the period of time after

    since May it has only rained once
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

conjunction

  1. (sometimes preceded by ever) continuously from or starting from the time when

    since we last met, important things have happened

  2. seeing that; because

    since you have no money, you can't come
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adverb

  1. since that time

    he left yesterday and I haven't seen him since
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
since Idioms  

  1. see greatest thing since sliced bread.

Usage

See as 1.

Etymology

Origin of since

First recorded in 1400–50; Late Middle English (adverb) syns, sinnes “thereupon, afterwards,” Middle English (adverb and conjunction) sithenes “afterwards, from (the specified time), because,” equivalent to sithen “after that, since” ( Old English siththan, originally sīth thām “after that”) + -es; see origin at sith, -s 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Santa Monica swept the team titles, the girls setting a section record with their 12th in a row since 2014, surpassing the 11 straight division titles Mission Viejo claimed from 1976-86 under Jan Most.

From Los Angeles Times • May 9, 2026

Kikuo Hatakeyama, 72, has served as the mayor of Hachirogata in north-east Japan since 2008, but fell ill in February and suffered a brain hemorrhage.

From BBC • May 9, 2026

A Wall Street Journal report noted that Kennedy “hasn’t taken steps to expand raw-milk access” since taking office, but also described a noticeable retreat from earlier public advocacy for the product amid ongoing regulatory scrutiny.

From Salon • May 9, 2026

Palantir’s new positioning set it up to benefit from the gold rush into AI: Its stock is up around 1,600% since it unveiled its Artificial Intelligence Platform.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 9, 2026

She’s hated that dirt bike since the day Dad bought it last winter.

From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.