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

Born sometime in 1430, Antonello is credited as the key link between the northern and southern Renaissance schools, with a distinct signature shaped by his studies of Provençal and Flemish artists, including Jan van Eyck. — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 17 Aug. 2026

According to Daxton Hagen, one of Temme and Toy’s five sons, the second Hagen’s might serve breakfast sometime in the future, something the older location does not currently offer. — Anne Ewbank, Sacbee.com, 17 Aug. 2026

Adjective

Charles builds their cabin with help from a kind widower and Civil War veteran, John Edwards (Warren Christie), who struggles with alcohol; Edwards’ sometime companion (Rebecca Amzallag) is a fiercely independent bar owner. — Judy Berman, Time, 9 July 2026

If necessary, Game 3 would be sometime Monday. — Tyler Estep, AJC.com, 3 June 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