were

¹ American  

[wur, wer, wair] / wɜr, wər, wɛər /

verb

1. a second person singular past indicative; first, second, and third person plural past indicative; and past subjunctive of be.

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we're ² American  

[weer] / wɪər /

1. contraction of we are:

   We're happy to see you.

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were ¹ British  

/ wɜː, wə /

verb

1. the plural form of the past tense (indicative mood) of be and the singular form used with you. It is also used as a subjunctive, esp in conditional sentences

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we're ² British  

/ wɪə /

contraction

1. we are

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Grammar

See subjunctive.

Usage

See contraction.

Were, as a remnant of the past subjunctive in English, is used in formal contexts in clauses expressing hypotheses ( if he were to die, she would inherit everything ), suppositions contrary to fact ( if I were you, I would be careful ), and desire ( I wish he were there now ). In informal speech, however, was is often used instead

Etymology

Origin of were

First recorded before 1000; Middle English; Old English wǣre past subjunctive, wǣre 2nd-person singular past and wǣron 2nd-person plural past of wesan “to be”; cognate with Dutch, German waren, Danish var. See was

Example Sentences

The two were at odds over the press conferences that were held to update the public on the disaster and on efforts to reopen the burn area to traffic.

From Los Angeles Times

And, of course, when I left Arsenal it was a hard decision for myself and for my family because we were happy there.

From BBC

"He is profoundly sorry that powerless and vulnerable women and girls were not given the protection they deserved."

From BBC

Those standards were not deemed high enough for the World Cup, and NFL stadiums are installing expensive irrigation and ventilation systems that will allow grass to bed in for several weeks before the tournament.

From Barron's

Investigators were focused on the possibility that someone who knew Gus may be involved in his disappearance.

From Barron's