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Meaning & use

onetime or one-time

adjective·Advanced

Last updated

UK/ˈwʌn.taɪm/
US/ˈwʌn.taɪm/

Meanings

  1. adjectivebefore a noun

    Used to describe something that happened or existed in the past but no longer does.

    Grammar: Comes before a noun and is not gradable: a onetime actor, never 'a very onetime actor.'

    Patterns

    • a onetime + noun
    • someone's onetime + noun

    The onetime mayor now runs a small bookshop.

    She is a onetime Olympic skater who now coaches children.

    He met his onetime rival at the reunion and they laughed about old times.

  2. adjectivebefore a noun

    Used to describe something done only once, rather than regularly or repeatedly.

    Grammar: Placed before a noun to describe a single, non-repeating action or payment.

    Patterns

    • a one-time payment
    • a one-time fee
    • a one-time offer

    New members pay a one-time fee of twenty dollars.

    The company offered a one-time bonus to all staff.

    There is a one-time charge for setting up the account.

Common combinations

one-time fee
There is a one-time fee to open the account.
one-time payment
The settlement was a one-time payment, not monthly.
one-time champion
The one-time champion lost in the first round this year.
one-time offer
This discount is a one-time offer, so decide today.
onetime friend
A onetime friend of mine moved to Canada.

Synonyms and how they differ

former
Former is the more formal choice for people and positions and often suggests a clear break with the past.
ex-
Ex- is informal and attaches directly to a noun, as in 'my ex-boss.'
single
Single stresses 'only one' rather than 'not repeated'; a single payment could still be the first of many.

Opposites

currentrepeatedongoing

Word family

once adverb
One time only; the adverb form related in meaning.
one-time adjective
The hyphenated spelling of the same adjective.

Commonly confused: onetime or one-time or one time? onetime or one-time or at one time?

onetime or one-time vs one time

Written as two words, this is an adverb meaning 'once' (I visited Paris one time), not an adjective before a noun.

onetime or one-time vs at one time

This phrase means 'in the past generally' and usually stands alone, as in 'At one time, this was a farm.'

Practice

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