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

Written sometime between 1290 and 1310, the Clermont-Tonnerre Grail is the highlight of an upcoming Valuable Books and Manuscripts auction at Christie’s in July. —Lianne Kolirin, CNN Money, 28 May 2026

The Tigers will also play in the ACC/SEC Challenge, taking on a foe from the opposing league sometime before Southeastern Conference play begins. —Killian Wright, Kansas City Star, 28 May 2026

Adjective

Actress and sometime performance artist Tilda Swinton will stage a performance at the Guggenheim Bilbao next month. —Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 20 May 2026

The college student and sometime singer and actress, now 21, made her society debut at the Le Bal des Débutantes in Paris in 2024. —Miles Socha, Footwear News, 12 May 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