since S1 W1 /sɪns/ BrE AmE preposition , conjunction , adverb
[ Language: Old English ; Origin: siththan , from sith tham 'since that' ]
1 . [generally used with a perfect tense in the main clause] from a particular time or event in the past until the present, or in that period of time:
We’ve been waiting here since two o'clock.
I haven’t played rugby since I left university.
She left London ten years ago, and I haven’t seen her since.
The factory has been here since the 1970s.
It was exactly five years since her father had died.
Since the end of the war, over five thousand prisoners have been released.
He lost his job five years ago, but has since found other work.
I left school in 1995, and since then I’ve lived in London.
ever since (=all the time since)
We’ve been friends ever since we were at school together.
She’s been terrified of the sound of aircraft ever since the crash.
We came to the UK in 1974 and have lived here ever since.
2 . used to give the reason for something:
Since you are unable to answer, perhaps we should ask someone else.
3 . since when? spoken used in questions to show that you are very surprised or angry:
Since when have you been interested in my feelings?
4 . long since if something has long since happened, it happened a long time ago:
I’ve long since forgiven her for what she did.
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GRAMMAR
since, for
Use since to say that something started at a point in time in the past, and is or was still continuing:
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He has been living in Leeds since 1998.
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We’ve known about it since May.
Since is usually followed by a time expression ('last year', 'this morning', '4 o'clock' etc) or by a clause in the simple past tense. Use the present perfect or the past perfect in the other clause:
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He had been seriously ill since Christmas.
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I have loved movies since I first went to the cinema.
► Speakers of British English usually say it is a long time/two weeks etc since ..., and speakers of American English it has been a long time/two weeks etc since ..., but both uses are correct:
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It’s weeks (BrE)/It’s been weeks (AmE) since I saw Grandma.
Use for when you state the length of time that something has been or had been happening:
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We have known each other for ten years (NOT since ten years).
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THESAURUS
▪ because conjunction used when giving the reason for something:
I went home because I was tired.
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The streets were flooded because of all the rain.
▪ due to/owing to preposition used to give the reason why something has happened. Due to and owing to are more formal than because :
The delay was due to a problem with the ship’s engines.
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The parade had to be cancelled owing to bad weather.
▪ through preposition because of something. Through is used especially when saying why someone succeeded or failed to do something:
They won the game, more through luck than skill.
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You failed that test through carelessness.
▪ thanks to preposition used when explaining that something good has happened because of someone’s efforts, or because something exists:
Thanks to modern medicine, the disease can now be cured.
▪ since/as conjunction used when giving the reason why someone decides to do something or decides that something is true:
We decided to go to the beach since it was a nice day.
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I thought Kevin was out as his car wasn’t there.
▪ out of preposition because of a particular feeling or quality:
He started reading the book out of curiosity.
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I only asked out of politeness.