was

American  

[wuhz, woz, wuhz] / wʌz, wɒz, wəz /

verb

1. first and third person singular past indicative of be.

---

was British  

/ wɒz, wəz /

verb

1. the past tense (indicative mood) of be 1

2. not_standard a form of the subjunctive mood used in place of were, esp in conditional sentences

   if the film was to be with you, would you be able to process it?

---

Etymology

Origin of was

First recorded before 950; Middle English; Old English wæs, past tense singular of wesan “to be”; cognate with Old Frisian, Old High German, Gothic was, Old Norse var; wassail

Example Sentences

The state trial, originally scheduled for June, was postponed until September.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

He was one for six from the field.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 2, 2026

At a briefing after the successful engine burn, he was all smiles, telling reporters: "What a great couple of days!"

From BBC • Apr. 2, 2026

Doncic’s was the second injury scare the Lakers weathered in the game that was supposed to be a marquee matchup between the hottest teams in the league.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 2, 2026

I frowned at the tabletop, which was etched with initials.

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith