What does "since" mean?
From a specified time in the past.
Since
/sɪn(t)s/ adv, conj, prep
adv, conj, prep ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: From a specified time in the past.
- Grammar: since is listed as adv, conj, prep.
- Nearest alternatives: aeons ago, afisr, after, after.
- Useful contrasts: ap credit for physics, while, for all.
- Usage evidence: I don't know how to demonstrate it, since it's too obvious!
How to use "since"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "since" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "since" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "since" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "since" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "since" is acting as adv, conj, prep in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "aeons ago" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "since", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Adverb
- 1 From a specified time in the past. not-comparable
"I met him last year, but haven't seen him since."
Preposition
- 1 From: referring to a period of time ending in the present and defining it by the point in time at which it started, or the period in which its starting point occurred.; Continuously during that period of time.
"I'd known her only since the previous year, so from/since the moment we got married we’ve quarrelled."
- 2 From: referring to a period of time ending in the present and defining it by the point in time at which it started, or the period in which its starting point occurred.; At certain points during that period of time.
""Mujtahidd" has attracted almost 300,000 followers since the end of last year, when he began posting scandalous claims about the Saudi elite."
Conjunction
- 1 From the time that.
"I have loved you since I first met you."
- 2 Because.
"Since you didn't call, we left without you."
- 3 When or that. obsolete
"O ſir Iohn, doe you remember ſince wee lay all night in the Winde-mill, in S Georges field."
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"I don't know how to demonstrate it, since it's too obvious!"
Common questions
What is a synonym for "since"?
Common synonyms include: aeons ago, afisr, after, after, after all, after that.
How do you use "since" in a sentence?
I don't know how to demonstrate it, since it's too obvious!
How do you pronounce "since"?
Pronounced /sɪn(t)s/.
Etymology
From Middle English syns, synnes, contraction of earlier sithens, sithence, from sithen (“after, since”) ( + -s, adverbial genitive suffix), from Old English sīþþan, from the phrase sīþ þǣm (“after/since that (time)”), from sīþ (“since, after”) + þǣm dative singular of þæt. Cognate with Dutch sinds (“since”), German seit (“since”), Danish siden (“since”), Icelandic síðan (“since”) Scots syne (“since”).