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

Still, he cautioned that there have been numerous times in the past few years when it seemed as though dealmaking activity was about to take off before something got in the way.

From The Wall Street Journal

The club was also sending spa employees—usually young women—to Epstein’s nearby mansion for massages, manicures and other spa services, according to former Mar-a-Lago and Epstein employees.

From The Wall Street Journal

Construction activity was supported by mild temperatures in parts of southern China, which helped projects proceed on schedule, the bureau said.

From The Wall Street Journal

The review was led by researchers from Oregon Health & Science University working with other experts in the field.

From Science Daily

They examined whether living near a Superfund site was linked to more advanced disease.

From Science Daily