date

1 of 3

noun (1)

ˈdāt 

1

: the brown, oblong edible fruit of a palm (Phoenix dactylifera)

cookies with raisins and chopped dates

2

: the tall palm with pinnate leaves that yields the date

date

2 of 3

noun (2)

1

a

: the time at which an event occurs

the date of his birth

on this date in history

see also date of birth

b

: a statement of the time of execution (see execution sense 1) or making

the date on the letter

2

: duration

the short date of all things sweet

—Rebecca P. Parkin

3

: the period of time to which something belongs

a style from a later date

4

a

: an appointment to meet at a specified time

set up a date with her lawyer

especially : a social engagement (see engagement sense 1a) between two persons that often has a romantic character

asked her out on a date

see also blind date sense 1

b

: a person with whom one has a usually romantic date

bringing a date to the dance

see also blind date sense 2

5

: an engagement for a professional performance (as of a dance band)

concert dates

date

3 of 3

verb

dated; dating

transitive verb

1

: to determine the period of time to which something belongs : to determine the date (see date entry 2 sense 3) of

date an antique

dated the fossils to the Triassic period

2

: to record the time of the execution or making of : mark with the date

forgot to date the check

a letter dated the fifth of September

3

a

: to mark with characteristics typical of a particular period

b

: to show up plainly the age of

old-fashioned decor that really dates the house

4

: to make a usually romantic social arrangement to meet with : to have a date with

someone she dated in high school

intransitive verb

1

: to estimate or compute a date (see date entry 2 sense 3) or chronology : to reckon chronologically

scientific dating techniques

2

: originate

a friendship dating from college days

jewelry dating back to the 1700s

3

: to become outmoded or dated

4

: to go out on usually romantic dates

wasn't allowed to date until she was sixteen

datable adjective

or less commonly dateable

ˈdā-tə-bəl 

dater

ˈdā-tər 

noun

Phrases

to date

: up to the present moment

her best album to date

Did you know?

The word date that means “the fruit of the palm” and the word date that means “the time of an event” look alike, but they are not related. The word for the fruit can be traced back to the Greek word daktylos, meaning “finger” and “toe.” No one knows why the fruit was called by the word for finger—perhaps because of its small size and shape or the long, slender shape of the palm’s leaves. The word for “the time of an event” comes from Latin and derives from the Latin phrase data Romae, meaning “given at Rome,” an expression used before the date on letters and documents. The word data comes from the Latin word dare, “to give.” In later Latin, the word data came to be used alone to stand for the date, and it came into English as date.

Synonyms

Noun (2)

• appointment
• assignation
• engagement
• rendezvous
• tryst

Verb

• go out (with)
• take out

Examples of date in a Sentence

Verb

She dated a couple guys during college.

He only dates younger women.

They've been dating for six months.

Don't forget to sign and date the application.

The letter was not dated.

a memo dated July 12th, 2003

Historians date the document to the early 1700s.

The ancient building was dated by a coin found in one of the rooms.

Scientists use various techniques to date fossils.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

This is one of Lange’s most prestigious complications, combining a tourbillon escapement with a hacking seconds, flyback chronograph with jumping minute counter and perpetual calendar with big date. —Allen Farmelo, Robb Report, 9 Apr. 2024

Previous reporting by the Star-Telegram shows the silos and grain elevator date to 1924, when Fort Worth was considered the grain capital of the Southwest, according to an archivist at the Fort Worth Library. —Kamal Morgan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Apr. 2024

Jordan, who to date has earned more than $500,000 in streaming royalties and relies on them for a significant part of his income, had been unwittingly caught up in streaming services’ new crackdown on fraud. —Ari Herstand, Variety, 9 Apr. 2024

Since then, the Legislature has eliminated two election dates school districts could use each year. —Becca Savransky, Idaho Statesman, 9 Apr. 2024

The singer’s next court date in the incident is May 3 and he is slated to play Nashville’s Nissan Stadium on May 2 and 3. —Rania Aniftos, Billboard, 9 Apr. 2024

The band will support the album with another round of tour dates kicking off in June, including appearances at CMA Fest in Nashville, at Bonnaroo in Manchester, Tennessee, and at Chicago’s Windy City Smokeout festival in July. —Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 9 Apr. 2024

No release date has been announced for either re-recording. —Rania Aniftos, Billboard, 28 Mar. 2024

Follow Allure on Instagram and TikTok, or subscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date on all things beauty. —Kara Nesvig, Allure, 28 Mar. 2024

Verb

For example, the startup is currently working with the University of Alaska and University of Stockholm on one of the largest-ever studies focused on radiocarbon dating mammoths. —Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 11 Apr. 2024

To the contrary, much of Thursday’s presentation focused on 2025 titles, several of them new, and even titles dated for 2026. —Pamela McClintock, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Apr. 2024

While dating, the couple attended several royal family events together. —Kirsty Hatcher, Peoplemag, 10 Apr. 2024

Annoyed ‘cause No. 87 is dating the Queen of the number 13? —Christie D’zurilla, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2024

The heritage of the Defy diver may date to 1969, but this watch is up-to-the-minute in every way. —Allen Farmelo, Robb Report, 9 Apr. 2024

The two monks, Donald Scales and Frederick George, had also worked in Virginia, though the accusation against Scales, who died in 2008, dated to his time as pastor of St. Michael parish in the late 1970s. —Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 9 Apr. 2024

Perspective Carolyn Hax: No ring yet, causing a whole other series of questions to pop ... Perspective Carolyn Hax: At 22, one partner since age 16 and a difficult itch to discus... Advice Carolyn Hax: Is dating a 48-year-old never-married man a waste of time? —Jacobina Martin, Washington Post, 30 Mar. 2024

The amendment, which dates to the end of the Civil War, was designed to prohibit people who had previously served in government, but rebelled against it, from holding office again, explained University of California, Los Angeles, Law Professor Rick Hasen. —USA TODAY, 30 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, borrowed from Anglo-French (also continental Old French), borrowed (with -il perhaps taken as a suffix) from Old Occitan datil, going back to Latin dactylus "dactyl in verse, kind of date" — more at dactyl

Noun (2) and Verb

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin data, from data (as in data Romae given at Rome), feminine of Latin datus, past participle of dare to give; akin to Latin dos gift, dowry, Greek didonai to give

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Phrases Containing date

• at a later/future date
• date back to
• date of birth
• date back
• date rape drug
• drop-dead date
• date rape
• sell-by date
• effective date
• expiration date
• birth date
• due date
• dinner date
• date line
• rain date
• up-to-date
• date from
• double date
• expiry date
• the international date line
• international date line
• blind date
• target date
• heavy date
• set a date
• street date
• out-of-date
• to date

Kids Definition

date

1 of 3 noun

ˈdāt 

1

: the oblong edible fruit of a tall Old World palm

2

: the palm that produces dates

called also date palm

date

2 of 3 noun

1

a

: the time at which an event occurs

b

: a statement giving the time of doing or making (as of a coin or check)

2

: duration

3

: the period of time to which something belongs

4

a

: appointment sense 3

especially : a social engagement between two persons that often has a romantic character

b

: a person with whom one has a social engagement

date

3 of 3 verb

dated; dating

1

: to record the date of or on

date a letter

2

: to show or find out the date, age, or period of

date an antique

3

: to make or have a date with

4

a

: to come into existence : originate

dates from the 1400s

b

: to go as far back

dating back to childhood

5

: to show plainly the age of

decor that really dates the house

datable adjective

also dateable

ˈdāt-ə-bəl 

dater noun

Etymology

Noun

Middle English date "fruit of the palm," from early French date (same meaning), derived from Latin dactylus "date," from Greek daktylos "date," literally, "finger"

Noun

Middle English date "time of an event," from early French date (same meaning), derived from Latin data (Romae) "given (at Rome)," a phrase used in putting the date on documents, derived from dare "to give" see Word History at ¹date

Word Origin

The word date that means "the fruit of the palm" and the word date that means "the time of an event" look alike, but they are not related. The word for the fruit can be traced back to the Greek word daktylos, originally meaning "finger" and "toe." No one knows just how the fruit came to be called by the word for finger. It may be because of its size and shape or because of the slender shape of the palm leaves. Or it may be that daktylos was the closest Greek word to the word for the fruit borrowed from another language. The word for "the time of an event" comes from Latin, but the Latin word did not mean either "day" or "time." Date derives from the Latin phrase data Romae, meaning "given at Rome," an expression used before the date on letters and documents. The word data is from the Latin word dare "to give." In later Latin, the word data came to be used alone to stand for the date, and it came into English as date.