adverb
once
At a time in the past.
This busy shopping street was once a quiet lane.
Etymology
The word for a single occasion extended to an unspecified occasion in the past. It introduces what was formerly true without necessarily identifying the exact time.
More examples
- She once lived here.
- The building was once a school.
- I once believed that story.
Forms
once
Similar words
- formerly
- More formal; explicitly refers to an earlier period.