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onetime

onetime

12 5.6
Formerly having a particular job or status
  • adjective
  • /ˈwʌnˌtaɪm/
translation icon : antiguo
  • A half-century later, the former clerk still tips his hat to his onetime boss.

Examples

  • "The president has taken his eye off the ball in Afghanistan," said his onetime rival Howard Dean.

    Academic text (2009)
  • Friend of the stars, onetime bootlegger, Mr. New York.

  • Not only that, he saved my life, onetime, and we sort of became best friends.

  • Like F.D.R., his onetime idol, Mr. Reagan kept to his habits during his eight years as president.

    Blog text (20)
  • The onetime mansion-house guest was arranging a display dominated by a copperplate picture of a bird.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • Morrison, the onetime athletic director at Wofford and TCU, will teach at the University of South Carolina's College of Hospitality.

    Academic text (2017)
  • p137 Fayetteville, North Carolina, the onetime state capital (1789-1793), seat of Cumberland County, fifty miles south-southwest of Raleigh.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • Hohmann's vision of the company came into focus after his onetime employer was bought out.

  • My father is Albert Spellman, a onetime cop turned private investigator who really likes lunch.

  • O.J. Simpson was talking specifically about calling Paula Barbieri, his onetime girlfriend, on June 12, 1994.

Synonyms

old
vsonetime
1.0

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

is specific to formerly holding a role or status rather than age
former
vsonetime
1.0

Existing earlier or having held a role before

refers to belonging to an earlier period rather than a named role
at one time
vsonetime
112 2.8

In the past

is specific about formerly holding a position or belonging to previous period
one-time
vsonetime
55 4.5

A person or thing that used to be something but is not now

has the same meaning but written as one unhyphenated word
erstwhile
vsonetime
  • Formal
9 8.4

From an earlier time and not happening now

is a neutral modern term for past status or period
sometime
vsonetime
  • Formal
3 5.5

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

is broader, applying to past status or time without specifying role
quondam
vsonetime
  • Archaic
9.9

Once in a role or position but not now

is the common modern word for past position or status

Antonyms

1.0

Happening now at this time

287 1.0

The time that is happening now

Surface Forms

onetime positive

Morphology

onetime = one + time (transparent) = one + time

The meaning 'formerly' is directly derived from 'one' + 'time' (i.e., 'at one time'), which learners can readily infer.

Etymology

The word onetime comes from the simple parts one and time, meaning 'at one time' or 'once'. So a onetime mentor is someone who was a mentor before, which is why onetime means 'former' or 'previous'.