sometime

1 of 2

adverb

some·​time ˈsəm-ˌtīm 

1

: at some time in the future

I'll do it sometime.

2

: at some not specified or definitely known point of time

sometime last night

3

archaic : in the past : formerly

4

archaic : once in a while : occasionally

sometime

2 of 2

adjective

1

: having been formerly : former, late

2

: being so occasionally or in only some respects

a sometime father

Synonyms of sometime

Adverb

• eventually
• someday
• finally
• soon

Adjective

• former
• old
• late
• erstwhile
• other
• past
• once

Examples of sometime in a Sentence

Adverb

We should get together sometime.

It's likely to happen sometime soon.

She will return from her trip sometime in December.

A burglar broke in sometime during the night.

The book was written sometime around the turn of the century.

Adjective

a sometime athlete who's gotten awfully fat

Recent Examples on the Web

Adverb

The results, expected sometime next year, could establish an important baseline for measuring disability access and participation across the American music industry. — Maribeth Romslo, Rolling Stone, 1 Nov. 2026

Morales is planning to turn himself in at a courthouse sometime on Monday, David Lindenmuth, his attorney, told The Associated Press. — Cybele Mayes-Osterman, Chicago Tribune, 1 Nov. 2026

Adjective

In the mid-1990s, Bob Bartel, a Chicago native and sometime private detective and full-time Beatles nut, heard Louise speak at a fan convention about George’s vacation in Benton. — Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026

The uncertain status of TPS has led to sometime conflicting actions by government agencies or employers. — Andrea Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adverb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for sometime

• aforetime
• allozyme
• anytime
• christmastime
• cybercrime
• dinnertime
• guggenheim
• isozyme
• lysozyme
• maritime
• mesenchyme
• overtime

Kids Definition

sometime

1 of 2 adverb

some·​time ˈsəm-ˌtīm 

1

: at some time in the future

I'll do it sometime

2

: at some unspecified or uncertain point of time

sometime last night

sometime

2 of 2 adjective

: having been at an earlier time : former, late

sometime mayor