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

And recently, after 110 years in midtown, Blue Diamond officials announced that the Sacramento almond plant had fallen behind the times, and would be shut down sometime between late 2026 and mid-2027. —Sacbee.com, 18 Dec. 2025

America still holds this title, but China is poised to assume the mantle, probably sometime around 2030. —Colin Jones, New Yorker, 18 Dec. 2025

Adjective

Set in Los Angeles, this ruminative novel alternates in perspective between a blockbuster actor, his best friend and sometime lover, and an aspiring screenwriter. —The New Yorker, New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2025

Marx was a sometime journalist, which, as everybody knows, is not a real job, and Engels was the son of a rich mill owner. —Peter Lucas, Boston Herald, 22 Nov. 2025

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