Adjacent Words

Since definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

SINCE, prep or adv.
1. After; from the time that. The proper signification of since is after, and its appropriate sense includes the whole period between an event and the present time. I have not seen my brother since January. The Lord hath blessed thee, since my coming. Genesis 30. Holy prophets, who have been since the world began. Luke l. John 9. Since then denotes, during the whole time after an event; or at any particular time during that period.
2. Ago; past; before this. "About two years since, an event happened," that is, two years having passed.
3. Because that; this being the fact that. Since truth and constancy are vain, since neither love nor sese of pain nor force of reason can persuade, then let example be obey'd. Since, when it precedes a noun, is called a preposition, but when it precedes sentence it is called an adverb. The truth is, the character of the word is the same in both cases. It is probably an obsolete participle, and according to the usual classification of words, may be properly ranked with the prepositions. In strictness, the last clause of the passage above cited is the case absolute. "The Lord hath blessed the, since my coming," that is, my arrival being past. So, since the world began, is strictly past the world began, the beginning of the world being past. In the first case, since considered as a preposition, has coming, a noun, for its object, and in the latter case, the clause of a sentence. So we say, against your arrival, or against you come.

Merriam Webster's

I. adverb Etymology: Middle English sins, contraction of sithens, from sithen, from Old English siththan, from s?th tham after that, from s?th after, late + tham, dative of thæt that; akin to Old High German s?d later and perhaps to Latin setius to a lesser degree Date: 15th century 1. from a definite past time until now <has stayed there ever since> 2. before the present time ; ago <long since dead> 3. after a time in the past ; subsequently <has since become rich> II. conjunction Date: 15th century 1. at a time in the past after or later than <has held two jobs since he graduated> ; from the time in the past when <ever since I was a child> 2. obsolete when 3. in view of the fact that ; because <since it was raining she took an umbrella> III. preposition Date: circa 1530 in the period after a specified time in the past ; from a specified time in the past

Oxford Reference Dictionary

prep., conj., & adv. --prep. throughout, or at a point in, the period between (a specified time, event, etc.) and the time present or being considered (must have happened since yesterday; has been going on since June; the greatest composer since Beethoven). --conj. 1 during or in the time after (what have you been doing since we met?; has not spoken since the dog died). 2 for the reason that, because; inasmuch as (since you are drunk I will drive you home). 3 (ellipt.) as being (a more useful, since better designed, tool). --adv. 1 from that time or event until now or the time being considered (have not seen them since; had been healthy ever since; has since been cut down). 2 ago (happened many years since). Etymology: ME, reduced form of obs. sithence or f. dial. sin (f. sithen) f. OE siththon

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Since Since (s[i^]ns), adv. [For sins, contr. fr. OE. sithens, sithenes, formed by an adverbial ending (cf. Besides) from OE. sithen, also shortened into sithe, sin, AS. si[eth][eth]an, sy[eth][eth]an, seo[eth][eth]an, afterward, then, since, after; properly, after that; fr. s[=i][eth] after, later, adv. and prep. (originally a comparative adv., akin to OS. s[=i][eth] afterward, since, OHG. s[=i]d, G. seit since, Goth. sei[thorn]us late, ni [thorn]anasei[thorn]s no longer) + [eth]on instrumental of the demonstrative and article. See That.] 1. From a definite past time until now; as, he went a month ago, and I have not seen him since. [1913 Webster] We since become the slaves to one man's lust. --B. Jonson. 2. In the time past, counting backward from the present; before this or now; ago. How many ages since has Virgil writ? --Roscommon. About two years since, it so fell out, that he was brought to a great lady's house. --Sir P. Sidney. 3. When or that. [Obs.] Do you remember since we lay all night in the windmill in St. George's field? --Shak.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Since Since, prep. From the time of; in or during the time subsequent to; subsequently to; after; -- usually with a past event or time for the object. The Lord hath blessed thee, since my coming. --Gen. xxx. 30. I have a model by which he build a nobler poem than any extant since the ancients. --Dryden.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Since Since, conj. Seeing that; because; considering; -- formerly followed by that. Since that my penitence comes after all, Imploring pardon. --Shak. Since truth and constancy are vain, Since neither love, nor sense of pain, Nor force of reason, can persuade, Then let example be obeyed. --Granville. Syn: Because; for; as; inasmuch as; considering. See Because.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English. 1. You use since when you are mentioning a time or event in the past and indicating that a situation has continued from then until now. Jacques Arnold has been a member of parliament since 1987... She had a sort of breakdown some years ago, and since then she has been very shy... I've been here since the end of June. PREP • Since is also an adverb. When we first met, we had a row, and we have rowed frequently ever since... ADV: ADV with v • Since is also a conjunction. I've earned my own living since I was seven, doing all kinds of jobs. CONJ 2. You use since to mention a time or event in the past when you are describing an event or situation that has happened after that time. The percentage increase in reported crime in England and Wales this year is the highest since the war... He turned out to have more battles with the Congress than any president since Andrew Johnson. PREP • Since is also a conjunction. So much has changed in the sport since I was a teenager... Since I have become a mother, the sound of children's voices has lost its charm. CONJ 3. When you are talking about an event or situation in the past, you use since to indicate that another event happened at some point later in time. About six thousand people were arrested, several hundred of whom have since been released... ADV: ADV with v 4. If you say that something has long since happened, you mean that it happened a long time ago. Even though her parents have long since died, she still talks about them in the present tense. PHRASE: PHR with v 5. You use since to introduce reasons or explanations. I'm forever on a diet, since I put on weight easily... = as CONJ

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. conj. Because, as, considering, seeing that, because that, inasmuch as. II. ad. 1. Ago, before this. 2. From that time. III. prep. After, from the time of, subsequently to.

Moby Thesaurus

aeons ago, after, after all, after that, afterwards, ages ago, ago, as, as long as, as things go, back, back when, backward, because, behind, being, being as how, below, cause, considering, ever since, ex post facto, following, for, forasmuch as, from away back, from time immemorial, gone by, in that, in the aftermath, in the sequel, inasmuch as, insofar as, insomuch as, into the past, later, long since, next, parce que, reminiscently, retroactively, retrospectively, seeing, seeing as how, seeing that, since long ago, since time began, subsequent to, subsequently, then, thereafter, thereon, thereupon, therewith, until now, whereas