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; wassail

Example Sentences

U.K. gross domestic product growth was 0.5% in the middle of the first quarter, compared with 0.1% in January, the Office for National Statistics said Thursday.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026

Entering the last year of a three-year contract, Leonard was asked if he wanted to remain with the Clippers.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2026

"I should have cut 'boom, boom, boom' because the look on Alan's face was brilliant. No idea what was coming!"

From BBC • Apr. 16, 2026

The company last week said a refinery complex in Saudi Arabia, a joint venture with the kingdom’s national oil company, was closed after being damaged.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026

Hers sounded a bit more promising whereas mine was unrequited.

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