a date

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable

   A particular day of a month or year, often written in numbers.

   Grammar: Countable: you can say a date, the date, or dates. Often used with on: on that date.

   Patterns

   • on a date
   • set a date
   • the date of something

   Please write your name and the date at the top of the page.

   We still need to set a date for the wedding.

   The date on the milk carton had already passed.

2. 2nouncountable

   A meeting with someone you are romantically interested in.

   Grammar: Countable: you can say a date, the date, or dates. Often used with on: on a first date.

   Patterns

   • go on a date
   • a first date
   • ask someone on a date

   He was so nervous before his first date that he arrived an hour early.

   They went on a date to a small Italian restaurant.

   She asked him on a date after they had talked for weeks.

Word forms

Common combinations

set a date

They set a date for the meeting next month.

go on a date

I'm going on a date with someone I met online.

the date of birth

Fill in your date of birth on the form.

a first date

What should I wear on a first date?

up to date

Make sure your records are up to date.

Synonyms and how they differ

day

Day is the general word for a period of 24 hours; date is the specific number and month, as in 5 May.

appointment

Appointment is a formal arrangement to meet, often for business or medical reasons; a date is usually social or romantic.

Word family

dated adjective

Showing the date, or old-fashioned: a dated receipt; dated clothes.

dateless adjective

Without a date, or without a romantic partner.

Commonly confused: a date or data? a date or late?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “a date”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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