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

For the first time in this type of research, they also included data from twins who were raised apart.

From Science Daily • Apr. 13, 2026

In retrospect, its uncompromising litmus tests and chilly demeanor were real weaknesses, creating a pervading fear that any false step could expel one from good graces, and that a return trip was always, always treacherous.

From Slate • Apr. 13, 2026

“What we’re seeing is, with the U.S. vacating the space, everyone else is kind of going back to where they were before we dragged them into this modality.”

From MarketWatch • Apr. 13, 2026

Futures for the S&P 500 were down 0.6%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.5%.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026

There were a lot of people waiting to order food, and Kathy could understand why.

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