used to

/ juːst /

adjective

1. made familiar with; accustomed to

   I am used to hitchhiking

verb

1. (takes an infinitive or implied infinitive) used as an auxiliary to express habitual or accustomed actions, states, etc, taking place in the past but not continuing into the present

   I don't drink these days, but I used to

   I used to fish here every day

Usage

The most common negative form of used to is didn't used to (or didn't use to ), but in formal contexts used not to is preferred

Idioms and Phrases

Accustomed or habituated to. This expression is often put as , as in I'm not used to driving a manual-shift car , or She can't get used to calling him Dad . [Early 1500s]

Formerly. This sense is used with a following verb to indicate a past state, as in I used to ride my bicycle to the post office , or This used to be the best restaurant in town . [Late 1800s]

Example Sentences

The ban was not implemented at the time because of strong public opposition, but officials warned that the platform was increasingly being used to spread harmful content including extremist propaganda and defamatory material.

From BBC

The deal defines “robotaxi” as any vehicle that “uses FSD and is used to offer transportation services without a human driver in the vehicle.”

From Los Angeles Times

September 2024's inflation data will not be released until October, but it is expected to be below average earnings for the relevant period, which means wages will be used to decide the state pension increase.

From BBC

Glenys and Mary's reflections show not only the success of the triple lock system used to increase pensions but also raises questions around its fairness and its sustainability.

From BBC

"You become sentimental about your child's toy, but you're nostalgic of the time you used to play with that toy with your child," explains Kiosses.

From BBC