was

[ wuhz, woz; unstressed wuhz ]

verb

1. first and third person singular past indicative of be.

was

/ 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?

Word History and Origins

Origin of was¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of was¹

Old English wæs, from wesan to be; related to Old Frisian, Old High German was, Old Norse var

Example Sentences

“I was in the fetal position,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times

His father worshipped guitarists from the Delta and even wanted to name his son after the Mississippian Albert King but was outvoted by his wife, who named him after Beethoven.

From Los Angeles Times

When he asked her later how she found him, she mentioned that he was 7 feet tall and a famous member of the Los Angeles Lakers.

From Los Angeles Times

Upon her arrival, Carter was with two friends, whom he told “he would be right back” as he led Penly to his bedroom, the lawsuit says.

From Los Angeles Times

In February, the Huntington Park City Council met behind closed doors to discuss a seemingly routine item on their agenda — potential litigation the city was anticipating.

From Los Angeles Times