sine die
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
No time being fixed; indefinitely in regard to time. When a proposal is deferred sine die, it is deferred without fixing a day for its reconsideration, which is virtually "for ever.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “sine die” mean?
No time being fixed; indefinitely in regard to time. When a proposal is deferred sine die, it is deferred without fixing a day for its reconsideration, which is virtually "for ever.
Is “sine die” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.