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Synonyms for once upon a time
| Grammar : Adv |
| Spell : wuhns |
| Phonetic Transcription : wʌns |
Top 10 synonyms for once upon a time Other synonyms for the word once upon a time
- aforetime
- anciently
- at one time
- away back
- back
- back when
- before now
- before this
- but once
- bygone
- down memory lane
- eons ago
- erewhile
- heretofore
- in former times
- in the old days
- in the olden days
- in the past
- in times gone by
- in times past
- lately
- long ago
- of old
- of yore
- old
- olden days
- on one occasion
- once only
- once upon a time
- one
- one time before
- one time previously
- only one time
- quondam
- radically
- some time ago
- sometime
- this time
- time was
- used to be
- water under the bridge
- whilom
Définition of once upon a time
Origin :- c.1200, anes, from ane "one" (see one ) + adverbial genitive. Replaced Old English æne. Spelling changed as pronunciation shifted from two syllables to one after c.1300. Pronunciation change to "wuns" parallels that of one. As an emphatic, meaning "once and for all," it is attested from c.1300, but this now is regarded as a Pennsylvania German dialect formation. Meaning "in a past time" (but not necessarily just one time) is from mid-13c.
- Once upon a time as the beginning of a story is recorded from 1590s. At once originally (early 13c.) meant "simultaneously," later "in one company" (c.1300), and preserved the sense of "one" in the word; the phrase typically appeared as one word, atones; the modern meaning "immediately" is attested from 1530s.
- As in once : adv in the past; occurred one time only
- As in formerly : adv previously in time or order
Antonyms for once upon a time
Based on : Thesaurus.com - Gutenberg.org - Dictionary.com - Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019