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| adv. 1. At an indefinite or unstated time: I'll meet you sometime this afternoon. 2. At an indefinite time in the future: Let's get together sometime. 3. Archaic Formerly. 4. Obsolete At times; sometimes. adj. 1. Having been at some prior time; former: a sometime secretary. 2. Usage Problem Occasional. Usage Note: Since the 15th century people have used sometime as an adjective to mean “former,” as in our sometime colleague. Since the 1930s people have also used it to mean “occasional,” as in Duquette decided to trade Everett, the team's sometime star and sometime problem child. Evidence suggests that this usage is now standard. In 1975, a majority of the Usage Panel found this “occasional” use unacceptable, but in our 2017 survey, 81 percent accepted the example quoted above. The adverbial use of sometime meaning “occasionally,” however, did not meet with much favor. Only 25 percent accepted the sentence The website is intended to help you navigate through the sometime confusing maze of government regulations. In such instances, where an adjective (and not a noun) is being modified, use sometimes instead. See Usage Note at someday. |
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