once upon a time

idiom
UK: /ˌwʌns əˌpɒn ə ˈtaɪm/
US: /ˌwʌns əˌpɑːn ə ˈtaɪm/

  1. Used at the beginning of a story, especially a fairy tale, to indicate that the events took place in the distant past.

    1. Once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess.
    2. The story began with 'once upon a time', setting the stage for a fantastical adventure.

Synonyms

formerly a long time ago
once upon a time adverb

  1. A long time ago; in the distant past.

    1. Once upon a time, people wrote letters.
    2. Life was simpler once upon a time, before the invention of the internet.

Frequently Asked Questions

The phonetic transcription of "once upon a time" is /ˌwʌns əˌpɒn ə ˈtaɪm/ in British English and /ˌwʌns əˌpɑːn ə ˈtaɪm/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "once upon a time": formerly, a long time ago.

Example usage of "once upon a time": "Once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess.". More examples on the page.