Word.ws English Dictionary

for once

for once prepositional phrase: for the first time, after many instances to the contrary; in a rare exception to the rule; as an exception to the usual.

Prepositional phrase

  1. (idiomatic) For the first time, after many instances to the contrary; in a rare exception to the rule; as an exception to the usual.
    • The invitation for the next evening was accepted, and Cecilia, for once, felt no repugnance to joining the company.1782, Frances Burney, Cecilia, or Memoirs of an Heiress
    • For once I would have taken him up upon his insulting wager.1841, Edgar Allan Poe, Never Bet the Devil Your Head
    Synonyms:
    for a change

Examples of for once in a sentence

  • Sell her her waste, please, and give her good measure if you can make up your mind to do the liberal thing for once.1865, Charles Dickens, Our Mutual Friend:
  • For once in her life she was surprised out of her reserve; she caught her girl in her arms and crushed her and her flowers against her heart, kissing the bright hair and sweet face warmly.1915, Lucy Maud Montgomery, Anne of the Island:
  • For once in my life, I have someone who needs me / Someone I've needed so long / For once, unafraid, I can go where life leads me / Somehow, I know I'll be strong1968, Stevie Wonder, “Stevie Wonder”, in For Once in My Life:
  • For once in my life / I found someone who makes me smile / Everything I do is just for pleasin' you / Only thing that seems worth while1983, Lakeside, “Real Love”, in Untouchables:

Synonyms of for once

Questions about for once

What does for once mean?
For once means for the first time, after many instances to the contrary; in a rare exception to the rule; as an exception to the usual.
How do you use for once in a sentence?
Sell her her waste, please, and give her good measure if you can make up your mind to do the liberal thing for once.
What part of speech is for once?
For once is a prepositional phrase.

Words near for once in the dictionary

  1. for now
  2. for old sake's sake
  3. for old time's sake
  4. for old times' sake
  5. for old times' sakes
  6. for once
  7. for once and for all
  8. for one
  9. for one reason or another
  10. for one thing
  11. for one's eyes only

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: for once (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

Last updated:

Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: en-au-for once.ogg.

Cite this entry: “for once.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/for_once. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.