Dictionary
Thesaurus
Encyclopedia
Translator
Web

since

 - 4 dictionary results

since

[sins]
–adverb
1. from then till now (often prec. by ever): He was elected in 1978 and has been president ever since.
2. between a particular past time and the present; subsequently: She at first refused, but has since consented.
3. ago; before now: long since.
–preposition
4. continuously from or counting from: It has been warm since noon.
5. between a past time or event and the present: There have been many changes since the war.
–conjunction
6. in the period following the time when: He has written once since he left.
7. continuously from or counting from the time when: He has been busy since he came.
8. because; inasmuch as: Since you're already here, you might as well stay.

Origin:
1400–50; late ME syns, sinnes (adv.) thereupon, afterwards, ME sithenes (adv. and conj.) afterwards, from (the specified time), because, equiv. to sithen after that, since (OE siththan, orig. sīth thām after that; see sith ) + -es -s 1


8. See because.


8. See as 1 .
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To since
since   (sĭns)   
adv.  
  1. From then until now or between then and now: They left town and haven't been here since.

  2. Before now; ago: a name long since forgotten.

  3. After some point in the past; at a subsequent time: My friend has since married and moved to California.

prep.  
  1. Continuously from: They have been friends since childhood.

  2. Intermittently from: She's been skiing since childhood.

conj.  
  1. During the period subsequent to the time when: He hasn't been home since he graduated.

  2. Continuously from the time when: They have been friends ever since they were in grade school.

  3. Inasmuch as; because: Since you're not interested, I won't tell you about it.


[Middle English sinnes, contraction of sithenes : sithen, since (from Old English siththan : sīth, after + than variant of thām, dative of thæt, that; see that) + -es, adv. suff.; see -s3.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Word Origin & History

since 
c.1450, synnes, from sithenes "since," from sithen (plus adverbial genitive -es), from O.E. siððan "then, later, after that," originally sið ðan "after that," from sið "after" + ðan, weakened form of ðam, dative of ðæt (see that). Modern spelling replaced syns, synnes 16c. to indicate voiceless final -s- sound. O.E. sið is from PIE *se- "long, late" (cf. Ger. seit "since," Goth. seiþus "late," Skt. sayam "in the evening," L. serus "late").
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Idioms & Phrases

since

see greatest thing since sliced bread.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
Cite This Source
Search another word or see since on Thesaurus | Reference
FacebookTwitterFollow us: