since

1 of 3

adverb

1
: from a definite past time until now
has stayed there ever since
2
: before the present time : ago
long since dead
3
: after a time in the past : subsequently
has since become rich

since

2 of 3

conjunction

1
: at a time in the past after or later than
has held two jobs since he graduated
: from the time in the past when
ever since I was a child
2
obsolete : when
3
: in view of the fact that : because
since it was raining she took an umbrella

since

3 of 3

preposition

: in the period after a specified time in the past : from a specified time in the past

Examples of since in a Sentence

Adverb She graduated four years ago and has since married. He left home two years ago and has since become a soldier. Conjunction We've played better since you joined the team. He has had two jobs since he graduated. He hasn't ridden a bike since he was a boy. They haven't won a championship since Truman was President. Preposition I haven't seen him since yesterday. I haven't eaten since breakfast. Since the party, she has not spoken to him at all. The company has been in its present location since the beginning of the century. We've been waiting for you since 10 o'clock. See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Adverb
Felder has since expanded into polo shirts, hoodies and joggers. Lauren Debter, Forbes, 28 Nov. 2023 The cruise was initially set to launch from Istanbul on Nov. 1, but had since been postponed to Nov. 11 with the start port relocated to Amsterdam and then postponed again to Nov. 30. Alison Fox, Travel + Leisure, 27 Nov. 2023 Supervisors also chose to expand the program to align with state regulations that have since been updated — including raising food preparation limits on quantity and revenue, and allowing street vendors to get MEHKO permits. Emily Alvarenga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Nov. 2023 In 1991, Lowe married Sheryl Berkoff and the couple have been together since. Keith Langston, Peoplemag, 24 Nov. 2023 It has since been comprehensively revamped, rebranded as the Whispering Sands Beach Estate, and put up for sale with a $23.8 million price tag. Mark David, Robb Report, 24 Nov. 2023 The social media account has since been deactivated. CBS News, 24 Nov. 2023 He has since been reinstated as CEO in a spectacular reversal of events after staff threatened to mutiny against the board. Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 23 Nov. 2023 At the end of their stay, McRae got her own apartment and has lived solo since. Lyndsey Havens, Billboard, 16 Nov. 2023
Preposition
But like every step before it, Ocando prevailed. His fight continued and since then, Ocando has acted as a legal consultant for the Venezuelan soccer league, Go Pro Sports Management and now teaches sports law at Florida Global University. Drake Hills, azcentral, 27 Aug. 2019 What have been the biggest or most provocative questions for you since then? Quanta Magazine, 27 Aug. 2019 Moreover, since this effort has taken place to reduce or eliminate thimerosal in vaccines, the autism rate hasn't gone down, the CDC says. Anna Borges, SELF, 26 Aug. 2019 Bob Goin was the Cincinnati athletic director who signed the deal, and since then the Bearcats have had five other ADs, including two interims. Kevin Allen, USA TODAY, 26 Aug. 2019 The Golden Knights figure to have plenty of experience on defense, which has been a staple since Bonds arrived at St. Francis. Charles Rich, Glendale News-Press, 26 Aug. 2019 Social media is a crucial part of digital marketing, and there's a lot to cover, since the course includes tools and skills specific to individual social media platforms. Noelle Ike, CNN Underscored, 26 Aug. 2019 That was more important to me,’’ said Patterson, who has been with the Vikings since Mike Zimmer took over as head coach in 2014. Chris Tomasson, Twin Cities, 25 Aug. 2019 Those August suits brought the total to 87 multistate legal actions in the 31 months since Trump took office, according to a database compiled by Marquette University political scientist Paul Nolette. al, 24 Aug. 2019 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'since.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adverb

Middle English sins, contraction of sithens, from sithen, from Old English siththan, from sīth tham after that, from sīth after, late + tham, dative of thæt that; akin to Old High German sīd later and perhaps to Latin setius to a lesser degree

First Known Use

Adverb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Conjunction

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Preposition

circa 1530, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of since was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near since

Cite this Entry

“Since.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/since. Accessed 5 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

since

1 of 3 adverb
1
: from a definite past time until now
has stayed there ever since
2
: before the present time : ago
long since dead
3
: after a time in the past
has since become rich

since

2 of 3 preposition
: from or after a specified time in the past
since summer, the team has improved

since

3 of 3 conjunction
1
: at a time or times in the past after or later than
has held a job since he graduated
: from the time in the past when
ever since I was a child
2
: for the reason that : because
since you're ready, we'll go now

More from Merriam-Webster on since

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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