onetime

1 of 2

adjective

one·​time ˈwən-ˈtīm 

1

: former, sometime

a onetime actor

2

: occurring only once : one-shot

onetime

2 of 2

adverb

: formerly

Synonyms

Adjective

• one-off
• one-shot

Adverb

• erstwhile
• formerly
• once

Examples of onetime in a Sentence

Adjective

a onetime actor now turned singer

with any luck, that was a onetime mistake

Adverb

an athlete who onetime competed in marathons on a regular basis

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Ongwen was a onetime child soldier who morphed into a brutal commander of a notorious rebel group known as the Lord’s Resistance Army. —Molly Quell, Los Angeles Times, 7 Feb. 2025

The first is a touching drama, adapted by Keith Bunin from Ali Benjamin’s 2015 novel of the same name, about a lonely seventh-grader named Suzy who is grieving the death of her onetime best friend and trying to navigate her way through adolescence and her one-of-a-kind brilliant mind. —Chad Jones, The Mercury News, 6 Feb. 2025

Adverb

And a hearty welcome back to the fold for onetime A.W.I. stars Russell Brand and Boris Johnson! —airmail.news, 12 Oct. 2024

That opera coat, by the way, has more than a hint of André Leon Talley, the legendary and lamented onetime Vogue editor, about it. —Hamish Bowles, Vogue, 6 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1850, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adverb

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

onetime

adjective

one·​time

ˈwən-ˌtīm

1

: former sense 1

a onetime boxing champion

2

: happening only once

a onetime event