Showing results for "were"

• an inflection of be.

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• were
  were

  verb

  a second person singular past indicative; first, second, and third person plural past indicative; and past subjunctive of be.
• we're
  we're

  contraction of we are:

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

First, West Coast investors were very bullish on the prospects for both AI and the adoption of blockchain technology.

From MarketWatch • Jul. 9, 2026

Earnings were also likely supported by the strength of the U.S. dollar and the euro against the Korean won in 2Q, Hong says.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 9, 2026

The findings were published in Materials Horizons in a paper titled "Resolving Decades of Debate: The Surprising Role of High-Temperature Covalency in the Structure of Liquid Gallium."

From Science Daily • Jul. 9, 2026

The actor spoke about his performances in Apple TV’s “Widow’s Bay” and Netflix’s “The Beast in Me” and how they were challenging in different ways.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 9, 2026

If I were at camp, I’d be starting breakfast.

From "Will’s Race for Home" by Jewell Parker Rhodes