was
Americanverb
verb
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the past tense (indicative mood) of be 1
-
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?
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A model suing Kanye West is speaking out about the alleged assault that lawyers for the rapper argue was his 1st Amendment right.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 11, 2026
But in the dozens of conversations I had with voters, residents, business owners and political campaigners in Makerfield, the mood was more nuanced than the rhetoric suggests.
From BBC • Jun. 11, 2026
That method was the “Davis Scale,” the department said.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 11, 2026
Kevin Docherty was one of several families detailing the failures of police in handling the disappearances of their loved ones.
From BBC • Jun. 11, 2026
It was an unmanageable situation, but the Daughters of Charity were relentless in their efforts to make Carville a clean, respectable, and renowned site for the treatment of leprosy.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
