were

¹ American  

[wur, wer, wair] / wɜr, wər, wɛər /

verb

1. a second person singular past indicative; first, second, and third person plural past indicative; and past subjunctive of be.

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we're ² American  

[weer] / wɪər /

1. contraction of we are:

   We're happy to see you.

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were ¹ British  

/ wɜː, wə /

verb

1. the plural form of the past tense (indicative mood) of be and the singular form used with you. It is also used as a subjunctive, esp in conditional sentences

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we're ² British  

/ wɪə /

contraction

1. we are

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Grammar

See subjunctive.

Usage

See contraction.

Were, as a remnant of the past subjunctive in English, is used in formal contexts in clauses expressing hypotheses ( if he were to die, she would inherit everything ), suppositions contrary to fact ( if I were you, I would be careful ), and desire ( I wish he were there now ). In informal speech, however, was is often used instead

Etymology

Origin of were

First recorded before 1000; Middle English; Old English wǣre past subjunctive, wǣre 2nd-person singular past and wǣron 2nd-person plural past of wesan “to be”; cognate with Dutch, German waren, Danish var. See was

Example Sentences

Despite withdrawing from the public eye, Hackman and Arakawa were beloved in their local community in the gated neighborhood of Summit, where their property is located.

From MarketWatch

He said they were spending $10,000 a year on that, but finding better value in competitors such as Gemini, as he also voiced a lack of trust over how the company handles corporate data.

From MarketWatch

Outside of Europe, stocks were mixed, with indexes falling in Japan and Hong Kong, but inching higher in Shanghai.

From The Wall Street Journal

Large construction firms with annual revenue of $500 million or more were the most likely to report enforcement impacts.

From The Wall Street Journal

The restrictions fell like a hammer on U.S. industries: Exports plunged, and companies were forced to pause production, delay sales and scramble for alternative sources, The Wall Street Journal has reported.

From The Wall Street Journal