: one single time : one time at least
Please be on time this once.
: that once was : former
… contributions to enrich the legal resources of the once province of Britain.—
J. N. Pomeroy
J. N. Pomeroy
: at the moment when : as soon as
Once she spoke, I recognized her.
Synonyms
Examples of once in a Sentence
Adverb
I will repeat the question once.
The play was performed only once.
She didn't once thank me.
He didn't look at me once.
It was once done that way.
A river once flowed through this canyon.
It was once a booming mining town.
Their music was once very popular.
Noun
I have tried Indian food more than once.
Please be on time just this once.
For once you seem to know what I'm talking about.
Adjective
the once child star is now a lawyer in the entertainment industry
Conjunction
Once she spoke, I recognized her.
you should have stopped wrestling once you knew someone was getting hurt, not five minutes later
Recent Examples on the Web
PCMAG, 17 Nov. 2024
Until Denis Villeneuve came along, adapting Frank Herbert’s novel Dune into a workable movie seemed like an impossible dream, nobly attempted once by David Lynch under the supervision of producers Dino and Raffaella De Laurentiis but to little critical or commercial success.
—Scott Tobias, Vulture, 17 Nov. 2024
Ivan Shaw, Vogue, 18 June 2024
Here are some highlights of ready-to-wear collections Thursday: GIVENCHY GETS FEMININE The once-street and urban Matthew M. Williams uttered a word not often heard describing his designs: Elegant.
—Thomas Adamson, ajc, 2 Mar. 2023
Alicia Wallace, CNN, 4 Oct. 2024
But the uprisings profoundly undermined the United States’ core alliances, encouraging local powers to pursue policies at odds with Washington’s and inviting global competitors such as China and Russia into the once unipolar region.
—Marc Lynch, Foreign Affairs, 8 Dec. 2020
See all Example Sentences for once 
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Adverb
Still, even simple flourishes like multiple color options were once rare.
—PCMAG, 17 Nov. 2024
Until Denis Villeneuve came along, adapting Frank Herbert’s novel Dune into a workable movie seemed like an impossible dream, nobly attempted once by David Lynch under the supervision of producers Dino and Raffaella De Laurentiis but to little critical or commercial success.
—Scott Tobias, Vulture, 17 Nov. 2024
Noun
While the front-of-house was abuzz with celebrities vying to be noticed, the once dapper and demure designers in the mold of a Christian Dior or Hubert de Givenchy were now being replaced by upstarts like John Galliano and Alexander McQueen.
—Ivan Shaw, Vogue, 18 June 2024
Here are some highlights of ready-to-wear collections Thursday: GIVENCHY GETS FEMININE The once-street and urban Matthew M. Williams uttered a word not often heard describing his designs: Elegant.
—Thomas Adamson, ajc, 2 Mar. 2023
Adjective
As job gains dropped off from their once breakneck pace, economists were quick to note that the labor market was merely slowing and not at risk of imminent collapse.
—Alicia Wallace, CNN, 4 Oct. 2024
But the uprisings profoundly undermined the United States’ core alliances, encouraging local powers to pursue policies at odds with Washington’s and inviting global competitors such as China and Russia into the once unipolar region.
—Marc Lynch, Foreign Affairs, 8 Dec. 2020
See all Example Sentences for once
Dictionary Entries Near once
Cite this Entry
“Once.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/once. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
once
2 of 3 noun
: one single time
just this once
once
3 of 3 conjunction
: as soon as
once that is done, all will be well
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