word choice - Is "since" a synonym of "because"?





When are “because”, “since”,“for” and “as” interchangeable?



A few years ago, I was told that "since" should only be used to designate a time period. For example:



Since 2 o'clock, I've been waiting for you.



However, since creeps into the place of "because" quite often.



Since I don't have the time, I won't be joining you.



This second example sounds slightly slangy to me now that I've been avoiding using "since" in this way for the past few years, but is "since" really a synonym of "because"?




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