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Glite Dictionary
1️⃣ Happening once ⏳ Former
one-time

one-time

55 4.5
A person or thing that used to be something but is not now
  • adjective
  • /ˈwʌn taɪm/
: antiguo
  • McMenamin's law firm at one time had 18 lawyers but now is down to two.

CNN has lost the trust of its one time large audience.

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Examples

  • Jim Jones was at one time a very popular figure in San Francisco.

  • Peggy's father was at one time placed on parole by the new Rebel authorities.

    Fiction book (1994)

  • Michael at one time was extremely sweet, loving, but he became angry about everything.

  • CNN has lost the trust of its one time large audience.

    Megyn Kelly

  • But if I won that right race, I'd have been, you know, a one time Formula One winner.

  • And Zimbabwe was at one time the richest, most highly educated country in South Africa.

  • For example, Gainesville, Georgia, claimed at one time to be the "Poultry Capital of the World."

    Academic text (2003)

  • Johnny Cakes is not only one of the best cake designers on TikTok after last episode, he's now a one time baking competition champion.

  • I believe that the topic keeps reappearing because accountability is not a one-time phenomenon.

    Academic text (2004)

  • Jim Jones was one-time a very popular figure in San Francisco.

Synonyms

old
vsone-time
∞ 1.0

A thing that belonged to or was used before the one you have now

is narrower, focusing on past status rather than age or condition
former
vsone-time
∞ 1.0

Existing earlier or having held a role before

is similar but can be used for single past instances
onetime
vsone-time
12 5.6

Formerly having a particular job or status

is the same meaning but written as a single word
erstwhile
vsone-time
  • Formal
9 8.4

From an earlier time and not happening now

is the neutral term for past status rather than poetic tone
sometime
vsone-time
  • Formal
3 5.5

Having had a job or role in the past, not now

is the same idea but often without exact timing
quondam
vsone-time
  • Archaic
9.9

Once in a role or position but not now

is like the neutral word but more archaic or rare in use

Antonyms

current
∞ 1.0

Happening now at this time

present
849 1.0

Happening or existing now

Surface Forms

one-time positive

Morphology

one-time = one + time (semi-transparent) = one + time

The components 'one' + 'time' are clear, but the extended idiomatic meaning 'former' requires a semantic shift from 'once' and may not be immediately obvious to learners.

Etymology

One-time comes from the simple parts one + time, like saying 'at one time' or 'once'. So a one-time person or thing is 'in the past' or 'former'.