since
//sɪn(t)s//
Definitions
1.From a specified time in the past.
- I met him last year, but haven't seen him since.
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.
- I'd been working since six o’clock, and I was getting tired.
- I'd known her only since the previous year, so from/since the moment we got married we’ve quarrelled.
- Since the 1980s, computers have had increasing roles in all aspects of human life, including an involvement in criminal acts.
1.From the time that.
- I have loved you since I first met you.
- Since leaving school, I've completely changed.
- I've known her since I've lived in her street, but I've not seen her out of the house since her husband died.
2.Because.
- Since you didn't call, we left without you.
- Since disbursement is the last step in the process of creating a mortgage instrument, the disbursement date may lag the transaction date by a considerable period.
Frequency
Overall
Very common· #260
By learning goal
- Everyday conversation
- Common
- General reading & writing
- Very common
- Academic
- Uncommon
- Literature
- Uncommon
Related words
Word family
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.