some
adjective
being an undetermined or unspecified one.
some
1 American
[suhm, suhm]
/ sʌm, səm /
adjective
-
being an undetermined or unspecified one.
Some person may object.
-
(used with plural nouns) certain.
Some days I stay home.
-
of a certain unspecified number, amount, degree, etc..
to some extent.
-
unspecified but considerable in number, amount, degree, etc..
We talked for some time. He was here some weeks.
-
Informal. of impressive or remarkable quality, consequence, extent, etc..
That was some storm.
pronoun
-
certain persons, individuals, instances, etc., not specified.
Some think he is dead.
-
an unspecified number, amount, etc., as distinguished from the rest or in addition.
He paid a thousand dollars and then some.
adverb
-
(used with numerals and with words expressing degree, extent, etc.) approximately; about.
Some 300 were present.
-
Informal. to some degree or extent; somewhat.
I like baseball some. She is feeling some better today.
-
Informal. to a great degree or extent; considerably.
That's going some.
-some
2
American
-some
3
American
-some
4
American
some
1
British
/ səm, sʌm /
determiner
-
-
(a) certain unknown or unspecified
some lunatic drove into my car
some people never learn
-
( as pronoun; functioning as sing or plural )
some can teach and others can't
-
-
-
an unknown or unspecified quantity or amount of
there's some rice on the table
he owns some horses
-
( as pronoun; functioning as sing or plural )
we'll buy some
-
-
-
a considerable number or amount of
he lived some years afterwards
-
a little
show him some respect
-
-
informal (usually stressed) an impressive or remarkable
that was some game!
-
a certain amount (more) (in the phrases some more and (informal) and then some )
-
about; approximately
he owes me some thirty pounds
adverb
-some
2
British
suffix
-some
3
British
suffix
-some
4
British
/ -səʊm /
combining form
some
Idioms
Commonly Confused
As pronouns, both some and any may be used in affirmative or negative questions: Will you ( won't you ) have some? Do you ( don't you ) have any? But some is used in affirmative statements and answers: You may have some. Yes, I'd like some. And in negative statements and answers, any is the usual choice: I don't care for any. No, I can't take any.
Etymology
Origin of some1
First recorded before 900; Middle English (adjective and pronoun); Old English sum originally, “someone”; cognate with Middle Low German, Middle High German sum, Old Norse sumr, Gothic sums
Origin of -some2
Middle English; Old English -sum; akin to Gothic -sama, German -sam; see same
Origin of -some3
Middle English -sum, Old English sum; special use of some (pronoun)
Origin of -some4
< Greek sôma body; see soma 1
Explanation
The word some keeps it vague. When you have some time to kill, you've got an unspecified amount of time — it could be five minutes or five hours. The word some sounds like sum which means "a total quantity or amount." However, some, unlike sum, refers to an unspecified amount. If you have some money in your pocket, who knows the sum of that amount? Some can also refer to an unknown person or thing. If a person you don't know shows up, you might refer to him as "some guy."
Vocabulary lists containing some
Spelling Practice, Unit 3
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Spelling Practice, Unit 8
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Spelling Practice, Unit 3
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
There has been some progress: Recruitment in 2025 was the highest in decades, and Congress authorized a roughly $25 billion investment into the Coast Guard, including funding for new vessels and aircraft.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
“There was some talk that our defense and goalkeeping weren’t up to par. But I think we’ve silenced a lot of critics,” Cubarsí said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026
This is where severance payments and opportunities for laid-off staff to shift into open roles are discussed, and arguments put forward for some to be reinstated.
From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026
To keep up, it will also need more bases in the Pacific, where distances are vast, some analysts say.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
Men, some alone, some in groups, ride horseback.
From "Will’s Race for Home" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
The canteen caters to the funeral home's customers, but as word began to spread about its noodles, hordes of diners -some posing as mourners - began showing up to try the food.
From BBC ● Feb. 26, 2025
Their syndrome was shown to be mosaic -some cells had one copy of chromosome X and some had two.
From Science Daily ● Jan. 11, 2024
Like many reactions -some more hysterical than others - it is unspecific on how school, workplace, etc., sexism can be realistically deterred and enforced.
From New York Times ● Nov. 5, 2017
While economic growth is usually chalked up to increased productivity- people working harder and more efficiently -some economists argue that that’s only part of the story.
From Washington Times ● Jun. 27, 2015
But something might be done in that way,- -some time might be gained.
From A Siren by Trollope, Thomas Adolphus
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
