may have come

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "may have come" is grammatically correct and commonly used in written English.
It is used to express uncertainty or possibility about something that happened in the past. Example: "She may have come to the party last night, but I'm not sure because I didn't see her there."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

59 human-written examples

The time may have come once more.

The New York Times

Mr. Mascarello's time may have come again.

The New York Times - Food

But their moment may have come.

The New York Times

This job may have come too soon.

The Guardian - Sport

Experiences gathered then may have come in handy in Ukraine.

The Economist

But this, too, may have come too late.

The Economist

Lead may have come from Rajasthan or elsewhere in India.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Its streak may have come to an end.

The Economist

The time for "bail-ins" may have come.

The New York Times

He may have come in from outside, seeking water.

The New Yorker

The breaking point may have come on Thursday.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "may have come", ensure the context clearly indicates a past event or situation about which there is some uncertainty or possibility.

Common error

Avoid using "may have come" when referring to present or future possibilities; reserve it for expressing uncertainty about past events. For present or future possibilities use "may come".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "may have come" functions as an epistemic modal verb phrase, expressing possibility or uncertainty about a past event. It combines the modal verb 'may' with the perfect construction 'have come' to indicate that the action of coming occurred at some point in the past, but its occurrence is not definite. Ludwig provides various examples illustrating this use.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

64%

Science

16%

Encyclopedias

3%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "may have come" is a versatile expression used to indicate possibility or uncertainty regarding an event that occurred in the past. As Ludwig AI confirms, it is grammatically correct and frequently used in various contexts, most notably in News & Media. While subtle alternatives like "might have arrived" exist, the core function remains consistent: expressing a degree of uncertainty about a past action. When using this phrase, ensure the context clarifies the past timeframe and the speaker's lack of complete certainty. It is important to avoid using it for future possibilities.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

might have arrived

Replaces "come" with "arrived" to focus on reaching a destination; "might" implies a slightly lower probability than "may".

could have happened

Shifts the focus to the occurrence of an event, using "happened" as a broader substitute for "come".

might have occurred

Similar to 'could have happened' but replaces 'happened' with 'occurred' for slightly more formal tone.

could be that it arrived

Expresses possibility in a more verbose way, emphasizing the arrival aspect.

it is possible it came

Rephrases the sentence to highlight the possibility using "it is possible".

it is conceivable it has emerged

Uses "conceivable" to emphasize the possibility, and replaced with 'emerged' which highlights appearance.

perhaps it originated

Emphasizes the origin of something; "perhaps" suggests a degree of uncertainty.

possibly it stemmed

Highlights the source or cause, with "stemmed" indicating derivation.

it is rumored to have surfaced

Indicates the information is based on rumors and focuses on something becoming known.

it's speculated it materialized

Speculates on the sudden appearance of something, often unexpectedly.

FAQs

How can I use "may have come" in a sentence?

Use "may have come" to express uncertainty about a past event, such as "The package "may have come" while I was out, but I didn't see it".

What's a more formal alternative to "may have come"?

A more formal alternative could be "it is possible that it arrived", which expresses the same uncertainty in a more verbose and formal tone.

Is there a difference between "may have come" and "might have come"?

The difference is subtle; "might have come" often implies a slightly lower probability than "may have come", though they're frequently interchangeable.

Can I use "may have come" for future events?

No, "may have come" is used for past events. For future events, use "may come", such as "The delivery "may come" tomorrow".