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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

at once en · ADV

Pronunciation

  • /ət ˈwʌns/ (UK)
  • (Australia) audio

Etymology

From Middle English at ones, equivalent to at + once.

Meanings

  1. (not-comparable) At the same time; simultaneously; together.
    • The [Washington] Post's proprietor through those turbulent [Watergate] days, Katharine Graham, held a double place in Washington’s hierarchy: at once regal Georgetown hostess and scrappy newshound, ready to hold the establishment to account. 2013 August 10, Lexington, “Keeping the mighty honest: A new wave of press barons should not allow newspapers to become niche products”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8848:
    • Can you pat your head and rub your belly at once? He tried to eat four cookies at once.
    • [T]he book, constructed in short, lucid episodes, can be satisfyingly read as a sequence of provocative talks, at once well informed and vatic. 2014 September 26, Tom Payne, “Sapiens: a Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari, review: 'urgent questions' [print version: The story of our species, 27 September 2014, p. R32]”, in The Daily Telegraph (Review):
  2. (not-comparable) Immediately; now; right away.
    • Tell the doctor to come at once. She is having a baby.
    • One saint's day in mid-term a certain newly appointed suffragan-bishop came to the school chapel, and there preached on “The Inner Life.” He at once secured attention by his informal method, and when presently the coughing of Jarvis […] interrupted the sermon, he altogether captivated his audience with a remark about cough lozenges being cheap and easily procurable. 1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter III, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:
    • As soon as Julia returned with a constable, Timothy, who was on the point of exhaustion, prepared to give over to him gratefully. The newcomer turned out to be a powerful youngster, fully trained and eager to help, and he stripped off his tunic at once. 1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 19, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC:
    • Sparks from the derailed bogie of the train were first noticed by the signalman at Slough West box, who immediately sent to Slough Middle box the "Stop and Examine" signal, followed at once by "Obstruction Danger" when he realised that the coach was derailed. 1960 March, “Talking of Trains: The Slough derailment”, in Trains Illustrated, page 132:
    • Mr. Cooke at once began a tirade against the residents of Asquith for permitting a sandy and generally disgraceful condition of the roads. So roundly did he vituperate the inn management in particular, and with such a loud flow of words, that I trembled lest he should be heard on the veranda. 1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter IV, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC:
  3. (not-comparable, obsolete) In one group; together.
    • And they all atonce begane to make excuſe. The fyrſt ſayd vnto him: I have bought a ferme / and I muſt nedes goo and ſe it / I praye the have me excuſed. 1526, [William Tyndale, transl.], The Newe Testamẽt […] (Tyndale Bible), [Worms, Germany: Peter Schöffer], →OCLC, Luke xiiij:[18], folio cj, recto:
    • Those two great champions did attonce pursew / The fearefull damzell with incessany payns [...]. 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book III, Canto IV”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:
    • Now if it ſo be that it woulde happely be thought not a thyng metely to be aduentured to ſet all on a fluſhe at ones, and daſhe raſhelye out holye ſcrypture in euerye lewde felowes teeth: […] 1528, Thomas More, “A Dialogue Concernynge Heresyes & Matters of Religion […]. The .16. Chapiter. The Messẽger Rehearseth Some Causes Which He Hath Herd Laid by Some of yͤ Clergie: […].”, in Wyllyam Rastell [i.e., William Rastell], editor, The Workes of Sir Thomas More Knyght, […], London: […] Iohn Cawod, Iohn Waly, and Richarde Tottell, published 30 April 1557, →OCLC, book III, page 245, column 2:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
attonce alternative lexicographic

Deriveds

all at once · think all one's Christmases have come at once

Synonyms

at one time · at once

Translations (184)

gl decontado (immediately) · bg вку́пом (together) · gl axiña (immediately) · pl naraz (at the same time) · ja すぐに (immediately) · vec sùito (immediately) · el μαζί (together) · fi yhdessä (together) · cu абиѥ (immediately) · it insieme (together) · hu azon nyomban (immediately) · hu együtt (together) · es a la vez (at the same time) · pl od razu (immediately) · ru одновреме́нно (at the same time) · fi oitis (immediately) · eu berehala (immediately) · pt na hora (immediately) · es seguidamente (immediately) · hu egyszerre (at the same time) · mi petapeta (at the same time) · fr à la fois (together) · no på en gang (at the same time) · nl dadelijk (immediately) · ro îndată (immediately) · no samtidig (at the same time) · sa सकृत् (together) · nb med én gang (immediately) · mi ināianei tonu (immediately) · sh одјѐдно̄м (at the same time) · ist soûbito (immediately) · es a seguido (immediately) · sh istòvremeno (at the same time) · az birlikdə (together) · ca a la vegada (at the same time) · da straks (immediately) · pt de imediato (immediately) · hu rögtön (immediately) · az bir yerdə (together) · bg неме́длено (immediately) · es a seguida (immediately) · oc amassa (together) · es al toque (immediately) · lad pishin (immediately) · lad devista (immediately) · nl ineens (at the same time) · de unverzüglich (immediately) · eo tuj (immediately) · az birgə (together) · es de una vez (immediately) · no straks (immediately) · tr tezden (immediately) · es de seguida (immediately) · ru сра́зу (immediately) · fr en même temps (at the same time) · oc ensemble (together) · sv med en gång (immediately) · io quik (immediately) · vec sùvito (immediately) · it subito (immediately) · ca tot d'una (immediately) · izh järkenää (immediately) · sv direkt (immediately) · sq përnjëherësh (at the same time) · sq menjëherë (immediately) · es ya mero (immediately) · gd anns a' bhad (immediately) · tr hemen (immediately) · el αμέσως (immediately) · ang þǣrrihte (immediately) · el ταυτόχρονα (at the same time) · bg наведнъ́ж (together) · grc ἅμα (at the same time) · fi yhtä aikaa (at the same time) · sh odjèdnōm (at the same time) · sh о̏дма̄х (immediately) · fi hetimmiten (immediately) · pl razem (together) · tr çabucak (immediately) · gl a fío (immediately) · fr tout de suite (immediately) · sh ȍdmāh (immediately) · pl natychmiast (immediately) · hu máris (immediately) · gl asemade (at the same time) · es en un santiamén (immediately) · az birdən (at the same time) · cmn 馬上 /马上 (immediately) · fi samaan aikaan (at the same time) · fi samalla kertaa (at the same time) · es ipso facto (immediately) · pt imediatamente (immediately) · grc αὐτίκα (immediately) · fi yhdellä kertaa (at the same time) · gd sa bhad (immediately) · fi kerralla (at the same time) · de gleichzeitig (at the same time) · fi heti (immediately) · sh исто̀времено (at the same time) · cs najednou (at the same time) · uk за́раз (immediately) · izh hetin (immediately) · gl ao mesmo tempo (at the same time) · es de una (immediately) · fr aussitôt (immediately) · bg едновременно (at the same time) · fr séance tenante (immediately) · mi petapeta (together) · ru вме́сте (together) · hu menten (immediately) · es en seguida (immediately) · te ఒకే సారి (at the same time) · fi pikimmiten (immediately) · izh järestää (immediately) · fi samanaikaisesti (at the same time) · fi viipymättä (immediately) · bg наведнъ́ж (at the same time) · lad en vista (immediately) · cmn 立刻 (immediately) · uk відра́зу (immediately) · ar حَالاً (immediately) · mk истовремено (at the same time) · sv samtidigt (at the same time) · sv på direkten (immediately) · hi तुरंत (immediately) · sv omedelbart (immediately) · gd gu grad (immediately) · bg заедно (together) · grc εὐθέως (immediately) · nl ineens (immediately) · it immediatamente (immediately) · hu tüstént (immediately) · ru неме́дленно (immediately) · da på en gang (immediately) · da samtidig (at the same time) · el συνάμα (at the same time) · sv på samma gång (at the same time) · de auf einmal (at the same time) · es de bote y voleo (immediately) · bg то́зча́с (immediately) · es enseguida (immediately) · az əlüstü (immediately) · bg наедно́ (together) · az o saat (immediately) · ru сейча́с же (immediately) · az o dəqiqə (immediately) · cy heb oedi (immediately) · la simītū (at the same time) · es ahora mismo (immediately) · sv genast (immediately) · fr d'un seul coup (at the same time) · nl tegelijk (at the same time) · hu nyomban (immediately) · bg незаба́вно (immediately) · da på samme gang (at the same time) · nl meteen (immediately) · it contemporaneamente (at the same time) · bg по едно и също време (at the same time) · nb med en gang (immediately) · es altiro (immediately) · hu mindjárt (immediately) · ru ту́т же (immediately) · hi हाथों हाथ (immediately) · de sofort (immediately) · az bərabər (together) · fi välittömästi (immediately) · hu azonnal (immediately) · nl tegelijkertijd (at the same time) · sw mara (immediately) · es en un plis plas (immediately) · es de seguido (immediately) · gl asemade (together) · eo samtempe (at the same time) · ro imediat (immediately) · bg отведнъж (immediately) · pt ao mesmo tempo (at the same time) · ru одновре́менно (at the same time) · gl á coxa (immediately) · tr derhâl (immediately) · nl direct (immediately) · pl zaraz (immediately) · az dərhal (immediately) · grc εὐθύς (immediately) · la statim (immediately)