sometime

[ suhm-tahym ]

See synonyms for sometime on Thesaurus.com

adverb

at some indefinite or indeterminate point of time: He will arrive sometime next week.
at an indefinite future time: Come to see me sometime.

Archaic. sometimes; on some occasions.
Archaic. at one time; formerly.

adjective

having been formerly; former: The diplomat was a sometime professor of history at Oxford.
being so only at times or to some extent: Traveling so much, he could never be more than a sometime husband.

that cannot be depended upon regarding affections or loyalties: He was well rid of his sometime girlfriend.

Origin of sometime

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

usage note For sometime

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.

Words that may be confused with sometime

sometime , sometimes

Words Nearby sometime

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use sometime in a sentence

The first public screening of Pathé film shorts took place sometime around 1903.
Propaganda, Protest, and Poisonous Vipers: The Cinema War in Korea | Rich Goldstein | December 30, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
On Christmas Day, sometime after dark, a hideous fire overtook the venue: 100 firefighters, 33 fire trucks, a four-alarm blaze.
The Fiery Death of Sotto Sotto, Toronto’s Celebrity Hotspot | Shinan Govani | December 30, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
According to police sources, was believed to have visited New York City sometime last week.
Alleged Cop Killer Ismaaiyl Brinsley Had a Death Wish | M.L. Nestel | December 22, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
And Cervecería Legitima, yet another brewpub, is set to open in the city sometime in 2015.
House of the Witch: The Renegade Craft Brewers of Panama | Jeff Campagna | November 30, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Tonkin said he expected Frein to be brought before a judge sometime on Friday, which happens to be Halloween.
Killer Eric Frein Held in Murdered Cop’s Cuffs | Michael Daly | October 31, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST

Even at his age he had ambitions, and expected that sometime he would, like his father, serve the king in some office.
Our Little Korean Cousin | H. Lee M. Pike
It was a dangerous journey into this wonderful cave, but sometime Alila must go there, his father said.
Alila, Our Little Philippine Cousin | Mary Hazelton Wade
These stems, with the refuse of other tobacco, are sometime used as filling for the commonest kind of cigars.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce | E. R. Billings.
Miss Dory would say so, but, Mas'r Crompton, you'll fotch her back sometime to de ole place.
The Cromptons | Mary J. Holmes
Let it suffice that what we are about to relate did happen, sometime or other within the present century.
The Floating Light of the Goodwin Sands | R.M. Ballantyne

British Dictionary definitions for sometime

sometime

/ (ˈsʌmˌtaɪm) /

adverb

at some unspecified point of time

adjective

(prenominal) having been at one time; former: the sometime President
(prenominal) US occasional; infrequent

usage For sometime

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)

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

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