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

Month-on-month growth was last stronger in June 2023, when it was 0.6%.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026

State Bar Chief Trial Counsel George Cardona said in a statement that the ruling “underscores that Mr. Eastman’s misconduct was incompatible with the standards of integrity required of every California attorney.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2026

The 1996 Brit Award – which has been loaned to the exhibition from the British Phonographic Industry – was presented to winning artists of that year.

From BBC • Apr. 16, 2026

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

It was a propane tank turkey fryer and worked great for frybread.

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