Standard Lemma guide

sometime

adj · adv · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • sŭmʹtīm'
  • /ˈsʌmˌtaɪm/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: S AH1 M T AY2 M Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Former, erstwhile; at some previous time.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Examples

  • my sometime friend and mentor

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Occasional; intermittent.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Examples

  • an author and sometime lecturer

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adv

Meaning 3

At an indefinite but stated time in the past or future.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Examples

  • I'll see you at the pub sometime this evening.
  • This will certainly happen sometime in the future.
  • It happened sometime yesterday.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adv

Meaning 4

Sometimes.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable, obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

adv

Meaning 5

At an unstated past or future time; once; formerly.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable, obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

adverb

Meaning 6

at some indefinite or unstated time

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • let's get together sometime
  • everything has to end sometime
  • It was to be printed sometime later

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From Middle English somtyme, som time, some tyme, sume time, sumtym, sumtyme, equivalent to some + time.

Across languages

Translations

69 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: бивш (bivš) — former
  • Bulgarian: някогашен (njakogašen) — former
  • Finnish: entinen — former
  • Greek: πρώην (próin) — former
  • Greek: αλλοτινός (allotinós) — former
  • Hungarian: hajdani — former
  • Hungarian: egykori — former
  • Hungarian: valamikori — former
  • Latvian: bijušais — former
  • Latvian: kādreizējais — former
  • Portuguese: antigo — former
  • Romanian: fost — former
  • Romanian: ex- — former
  • Romanian: anterior — former
  • Russian: бы́вший (bývšij) — former
  • Russian: пре́жний (préžnij) — former
  • Assamese: কেতিয়াবা (ketiaba) — at an indefinite but stated time in the past or future
  • Belarusian: калі́-не́будзь (kalí-njébudzʹ) — at an indefinite but stated time in the past or future
  • Belarusian: не́калі (njékali) — at an indefinite but stated time in the past or future
  • Belarusian: калі́сьці (kalísʹci) — at an indefinite but stated time in the past or future
  • Bulgarian: ня́кога (njákoga) — at an indefinite but stated time in the past or future
  • Chinese Mandarin: 日後 /日后 (rìhòu) — at an indefinite but stated time in the past or future
  • Chinese Mandarin: 某時 /某时 (mǒushí) — at an indefinite but stated time in the past or future
  • Chinese Mandarin: 下次 (xiàcì) — at an indefinite but stated time in the past or future
  • Cornish: neb termyn — at an indefinite but stated time in the past or future
  • Cornish: yn neb termyn — at an indefinite but stated time in the past or future
  • Cornish: neb prys — at an indefinite but stated time in the past or future
  • Czech: někdy — at an indefinite but stated time in the past or future
  • Dutch: ooit — at an indefinite but stated time in the past or future
  • Esperanto: iam — at an indefinite but stated time in the past or future
  • Faroese: onkuntíð — at an indefinite but stated time in the past or future
  • Finnish: joskus — at an indefinite but stated time in the past or future
  • Finnish: johonkin aikaan — at an indefinite but stated time in the past or future
  • Finnish: jonakin päivänä — at an indefinite but stated time in the past or future
  • French: un jour ou l’autre — at an indefinite but stated time in the past or future
  • German: irgendwann — at an indefinite but stated time in the past or future
  • German: eines Tages — at an indefinite but stated time in the past or future
  • Greek: κάποτε (kápote) — at an indefinite but stated time in the past or future
  • Gujarati: ક્યારેક (kyārek) — at an indefinite but stated time in the past or future
  • Hebrew: מתישהו (matayshehu) — at an indefinite but stated time in the past or future
  • Hungarian: valamikor — at an indefinite but stated time in the past or future
  • Icelandic: einhvern tíma — at an indefinite but stated time in the past or future
  • Irish: am éigin — at an indefinite but stated time in the past or future
  • Italian: un giorno o l'altro — at an indefinite but stated time in the past or future
  • Japanese: いつか (itsuka) — at an indefinite but stated time in the past or future
  • Korean: 언젠가 (eonjen'ga) — at an indefinite but stated time in the past or future
  • Latin: aliquandō — at an indefinite but stated time in the past or future
  • Latvian: kaut kad — at an indefinite but stated time in the past or future
  • Macedonian: некогаш (nekogaš) — at an indefinite but stated time in the past or future
  • Eastern Mari: ала-кунам (ala-kunam) — at an indefinite but stated time in the past or future
  • Eastern Mari: иктаж-кунам (iktaž-kunam) — at an indefinite but stated time in the past or future
  • Norwegian Bokmål: en eller annen gang — at an indefinite but stated time in the past or future
  • Norwegian Bokmål: på et eller annet tidspunkt — at an indefinite but stated time in the past or future
  • Norwegian Bokmål: før eller senere — at an indefinite but stated time in the past or future
  • Polish: kiedyś — at an indefinite but stated time in the past or future
  • Portuguese: algum dia — at an indefinite but stated time in the past or future
  • Romanian: cândva — at an indefinite but stated time in the past or future
  • Russian: когда́-то (kogdá-to) — at an indefinite but stated time in the past or future
  • Russian: когда́-нибудь (kogdá-nibudʹ) — at an indefinite but stated time in the past or future
  • Scottish Gaelic: uaireigin — at an indefinite but stated time in the past or future
  • Slovak: niekedy — at an indefinite but stated time in the past or future
  • Spanish: al rato — at an indefinite but stated time in the past or future
  • Spanish: algún día — at an indefinite but stated time in the past or future
  • Spanish: en algún momento — at an indefinite but stated time in the past or future
  • Swedish: någon gång — at an indefinite but stated time in the past or future
  • Telugu: ఎప్పుడో (eppuḍō) — at an indefinite but stated time in the past or future
  • Ukrainian: коли́сь (kolýsʹ) — at an indefinite but stated time in the past or future
  • Ukrainian: коли́-небудь (kolý-nebudʹ) — at an indefinite but stated time in the past or future
  • Welsh: rhywbryd — at an indefinite but stated time in the past or future
Real reading context

sometime in complete knowledge articles