sometime

sometime
late, former, one-time, sometime
All these words are used occasionally (the first two a little more than that) to describe the earlier status of a person or thing. A late husband is one that is no longer alive, whereas a former husband (or ex-husband) is one that is no longer a husband (but is more likely than not still alive). Sometime is used more of the official function a person or thing has had, for example a building may be the sometime headquarters of the KGB; former and one-time are also possible here and would be more usual in everyday language. See also erstwhile; former, latter.
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sometime, some time
1. Sometime, spelt as one word, is an indefinite adverb with two main meanings: (1) ‘former’, as in their friend and sometime partner, and (2) ‘at some time in the future’, as in I'll tell you about it sometime. When some and time both retain their separate meaning, they are spelt as two words: We need some time to reflect / This has been known for some time.
2. Sometime is also used to mean ‘occasional’, especially in the phrase a sometime thing, but this use is not standard:

• The Federal bureaucracy has grown unwieldy and party discipline in Congress is a sometime thing —Newsweek, 1980.


Modern English usage. 2014.

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  • Sometime — Some time , adv. 1. At a past time indefinitely referred to; once; formerly. [1913 Webster] Did they not sometime cry All hail to me? Shak. [1913 Webster] 2. At a time undefined; once in a while; now and then; sometimes. [1913 Webster] Sometime… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Sometime — Some time (s[u^]m t[imac]m ), a. Having been formerly; former; late; whilom. [1913 Webster] Our sometime sister, now our queen. Shak. [1913 Webster] Ion, our sometime darling, whom we prized. Talfourd. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • sometime — [sum′tīm΄] adv. 1. at some time not known or specified 2. at some unspecified time in the future 3. Archaic a) sometimes b) formerly adj. 1. former; erstwhile [her sometime friend] …   English World dictionary

  • sometime — mid 14c., at one time or another (adv.); as an adv., late 15c. Meaning at some future time is late 14c. From SOME (Cf. some) + TIME (Cf. time). Sometimes now and then is from 1520s …   Etymology dictionary

  • sometime — ► ADVERB ▪ at some unspecified or unknown time. ► ADJECTIVE ▪ former …   English terms dictionary

  • sometime — some|time [ sʌmtaım ] function word ** Sometime is used in the following ways: as an adverb: The store will open sometime next year. as an adjective (only before a noun): Bill Veeck, sometime baseball team owner In British English, sometime can… …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • sometime */*/ — UK [ˈsʌmtaɪm] / US adjective, adverb Summary: Sometime is used in the following ways: as an adverb: The shop will open sometime next year. as an adjective (only before a noun): Bill Veeck, sometime baseball team owner In British English, sometime …   English dictionary

  • sometime — /sum tuym /, adv. 1. at some indefinite or indeterminate point of time: He will arrive sometime next week. 2. at an indefinite future time: Come to see me sometime. 3. Archaic. sometimes; on some occasions. 4. Archaic. at one time; formerly. adj …   Universalium

  • sometime — [[t]sʌ̱mtaɪm[/t]] 1) ADV: ADV with v, ADV with cl/group You use sometime to refer to a time in the future or the past that is unknown or that has not yet been decided. The sales figures won t be released until sometime next month... Why don t you …   English dictionary

  • sometime — some|time1 [ˈsʌmtaım] adv also some time at a time in the future or in the past, although you do not know exactly when sometime around/in/during etc ▪ We ll take a vacation sometime in September. ▪ Our house was built sometime around 1900.… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

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