What does someday mean?
“Someday” is an adverb for an unspecified time in the future. It is used when the exact occasion is unknown, unimportant, or not yet fixed: “We should visit the museum someday.” In conversation, it frequently expresses hope or aspiration, as in “I will write a novel someday,” rather than a firm promise. The word can also refer to a future event in a more neutral way, but its familiar tone makes it especially common in informal speech and personal plans. Because it does not identify when something will happen, “someday” is less appropriate when discussing deadlines, scheduled appointments, or definite future arrangements. The spelling as one word usually marks the adverbial meaning “at some future time,” while the two-word form “some day” is more flexible and can also refer to a particular day.
adverbAt some time in the future, without specifying when.
- At some point in the future; at an unspecified future time.
"I hope to travel to Japan someday."
"Perhaps someday we will understand how the ancient civilization disappeared."
"She someday returned to the town where she had spent her childhood."
Someday keeps the future open: it can express a dream, a prediction, or simply something that will happen when the time is right.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does someday come from?
“Someday” is a modern compound formed from “some” and “day.” Its use as a single adverb developed from older expressions in which “some day” referred to an unspecified future day. The compound became established in modern English and is now conventionally written as one word when it functions as an adverb.
How someday is actually used
Common in everyday English. It often has the connotation of a hoped-for or uncertain future event, especially in phrases such as “I hope to...” or “maybe someday.” It is less suitable than precise future wording when a particular date or time is intended.
Easily confused with someday
As two words, “some day” can mean a particular unspecified day or, idiomatically, an indefinite future occasion; as one word, “someday” is primarily an adverb meaning at some future time.