once

adverb

\ ˈwən(t)s

Definition of once

(Entry 1 of 4)

1 : one time and no more rode a horse only once went skydiving once

2 : at any one time : under any circumstances : ever didn't once thank me

3 : at some indefinite time in the past : formerly was once a booming mining town

4 : by one degree of relationship first cousin once removed

once and for all

1 : with finality : definitively The team proved once and for all that they are the best.

2 : for the last time I'm telling you once and for all that I'm not going.

once in a while

: now and then spent most of their time at home, but went out once in a while

once

noun

Definition of once (Entry 2 of 4)

: one single time : one time at least Please be on time this once.

at once

1 : at the same time : simultaneously

2 : immediately

3 : both entry 2 at once funny and sad

once

adjective

Definition of once (Entry 3 of 4)

: that once was : former a once successful actor

once

conjunction

Definition of once (Entry 4 of 4)

: at the moment when : as soon as Once she spoke, I recognized her.

Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about once

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Synonyms for once

Synonyms: Adverb

erstwhile, formerly, onetime

Synonyms: Adjective

erstwhile, former, late, old, onetime, other, past, quondam, sometime, whilom

Synonyms: Conjunction

as soon as, immediately [chiefly British], instantly, when

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: Adverb

Kylie Jenner is, once again, helping to generate engagement rumors by wearing a huge diamond ring on her left hand. — Amy Mackelden, Harper's BAZAAR, "Kylie Jenner Rocks a Giant Diamond Ring on Her Left Hand, While Baring Her Midriff," 6 Jan. 2019 That’s $60 an appointment about once a month—also at Wynn. — Quinta Brunson, Glamour, "I Spend $2,116 on My Beauty Routine, But Only $12 on My Skin," 2 Jan. 2019 At the same time, odds that the Fed will reduce interest rates at least once by the end of the year have risen to 12%, up from 4% a month ago, according to data from CME Group . — Daniel Kruger, WSJ, "U.S. Government Bonds Rise as Investors Avoid Risk," 27 Dec. 2018 Self-driving companies, once notoriously secretive, gave more information, more rides, and more access in an effort to push forth glowing visions of a utopian AV future. — Alissa Walker, Curbed, "The good, the bad, and the ugly of self-driving cars in 2018," 27 Dec. 2018 Ars and Star Trek go together, as the great philosopher once said, like peas and carrots. — Lee Hutchinson, Ars Technica, "Ars enters VR and destroys multiple starships in Star Trek: Bridge Crew," 26 Dec. 2018 Cline recommends using Bb Sunday Shampoo once a week to remove buildup, while Zoe Wiepert, her colleague at Bumble and Bumble in Midtown Manhattan, suggests Bb Scalp Detox and Bb Color Gloss in Cool Blonde to help maintain tone between visits. — Jennifer Fernandez, House Beautiful, "Why Your Shower Is Wrecking Your Hair," 19 Dec. 2018 About 300 million people around the world use Quora at least once a month to ask and answer questions about politics, faith, calculus, unrequited love, the meaning of life and more; by comparison, Twitter claims 326 million monthly active users. — Recode Staff, Recode, "Recode Daily: The one about Netflix’s $100 million ‘Friends’ deal," 5 Dec. 2018 Simmons played the final 10 snaps Sunday against the 49ers once Fluker went out (Joey Hunt played the first snap). — Bob Condotta, The Seattle Times, "Seahawks Q&A: Did Russell Wilson really throw the shoe of a 49er? What happens without D.J. Fluker?," 4 Dec. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

The second-year quarterback completed 10 of 13 passes for 113 yards, led two scoring drives in three series of action and once again showed play-making ability with his feet. — Dave Birkett, Detroit Free Press, "Detroit Lions' stock watch: Rookie LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin a bright spot," 25 Aug. 2017

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

And Michigan's gone through spring drills without a clear answer of who will realistically be the front-runner once summer begins. — Nick Baumgardner, Detroit Free Press, "Michigan football's Shea Patterson still competing despite unclear situation," 12 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'once.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.