Showing results for "was"

• an inflection of be.
• an inflection of be.

was

American  

[wuhz, woz, wuhz] / wʌz, wɒz, wəz /

verb

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

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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?

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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; cf. wassail

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

was

“He was at his best in the most important moments,” coach Sean McVay said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 11, 2026

I think the second one was just as dumb as the first one.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 11, 2026

“He just calmly turned to me. He was sitting two or three seats away. He said, ‘Jeff, just type these words.’

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 11, 2026

Again, he was joined by an army of protesters.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 11, 2026

At Carville, she was one of the few patients who kept her identity.

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly