Phrase guide

at once

adv · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /ət ˈwʌns/
  • Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

adv

Meaning 1

At the same time; simultaneously; together.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Examples

  • Can you pat your head and rub your belly at once? He tried to eat four cookies at once.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: at one time, at once

Antonyms: none provided

2

adv

Meaning 2

Immediately; now; right away.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Examples

  • Tell the doctor to come at once. She is having a baby.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adv

Meaning 3

In one group; together.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable, obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adverb

Meaning 4

without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • he answered immediately
  • found an answer straightaway
  • an official accused of dishonesty should be suspended forthwith
  • Come here now!

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: immediately, instantly, straightaway, straight off, directly, now, right away, forthwith, like a shot

Antonyms: none provided

5

adverb

Meaning 5

simultaneously

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • he took three cookies at a time

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: at a time, at one time

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

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

Across languages

Translations

184 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Azerbaijani: birgə — together
  • Azerbaijani: bir yerdə — together
  • Azerbaijani: birlikdə — together
  • Azerbaijani: bərabər — together
  • Bulgarian: заедно (zaedno) — together
  • Bulgarian: наведнъ́ж (navednǎ́ž) — together
  • Bulgarian: наедно́ (naednó) — together
  • Bulgarian: вку́пом (vkúpom) — together
  • Finnish: yhdessä — together
  • French: à la fois — together
  • Galician: asemade — together
  • Greek: μαζί (mazí) — together
  • Hungarian: együtt — together
  • Italian: insieme — together
  • Māori: petapeta — together
  • Occitan: amassa — together
  • Occitan: ensemble — together
  • Polish: razem — together
  • Russian: вме́сте (vméste) — together
  • Sanskrit: सकृत् (sakṛt) — together
  • Albanian: përnjëherësh — at the same time
  • Azerbaijani: birdən — at the same time
  • Bulgarian: едновременно (ednovremenno) — at the same time
  • Bulgarian: по едно и също време (po edno i sǎšto vreme) — at the same time
  • Bulgarian: наведнъ́ж (navednǎ́ž) — at the same time
  • Catalan: a la vegada — at the same time
  • Czech: najednou — at the same time
  • Danish: på samme gang — at the same time
  • Danish: samtidig — at the same time
  • Dutch: tegelijk — at the same time
  • Dutch: ineens — at the same time
  • Dutch: tegelijkertijd — at the same time
  • Esperanto: samtempe — at the same time
  • Finnish: samaan aikaan — at the same time
  • Finnish: samanaikaisesti — at the same time
  • Finnish: yhtä aikaa — at the same time
  • Finnish: kerralla — at the same time
  • Finnish: samalla kertaa — at the same time
  • Finnish: yhdellä kertaa — at the same time
  • French: en même temps — at the same time
  • French: d'un seul coup — at the same time
  • Galician: ao mesmo tempo — at the same time
  • Galician: asemade — at the same time
  • German: auf einmal — at the same time
  • German: gleichzeitig — at the same time
  • Greek: ταυτόχρονα (taftóchrona) — at the same time
  • Greek: συνάμα (synáma) — at the same time
  • Ancient Greek: ἅμα (háma) — at the same time
  • Hungarian: egyszerre — at the same time
  • Italian: contemporaneamente — at the same time
  • Latin: simītū — at the same time
  • Macedonian: истовремено (istovremeno) — at the same time
  • Māori: petapeta — at the same time
  • Norwegian: på en gang — at the same time
  • Norwegian: samtidig — at the same time
  • Polish: naraz — at the same time
  • Portuguese: ao mesmo tempo — at the same time
  • Russian: одновре́менно (odnovrémenno) — at the same time
  • Russian: одновреме́нно (odnovreménno) — at the same time
  • Serbo-Croatian: исто̀времено — at the same time
  • Serbo-Croatian: одјѐдно̄м — at the same time
  • Serbo-Croatian: istòvremeno — at the same time
  • Serbo-Croatian: odjèdnōm — at the same time
  • Spanish: a la vez — at the same time
  • Swedish: samtidigt — at the same time
  • Swedish: på samma gång — at the same time
  • Telugu: ఒకే సారి (okē sāri) — at the same time
  • Albanian: menjëherë — immediately
  • Arabic: حَالاً (ḥālan) — immediately
  • Azerbaijani: əlüstü — immediately
  • Azerbaijani: dərhal — immediately
  • Azerbaijani: o dəqiqə — immediately
  • Azerbaijani: o saat — immediately
  • Basque: berehala — immediately
  • Bulgarian: отведнъж (otvednǎž) — immediately
  • Bulgarian: то́зча́с (tózčás) — immediately
  • Bulgarian: незаба́вно (nezabávno) — immediately
  • Bulgarian: неме́длено (nemédleno) — immediately
  • Catalan: tot d'una — immediately
  • Chinese Mandarin: 馬上 /马上 (mǎshàng) — immediately
  • Chinese Mandarin: 立刻 (lìkè) — immediately
  • Danish: straks — immediately
  • Danish: på en gang — immediately
  • Dutch: meteen — immediately
  • Dutch: direct — immediately
  • Dutch: dadelijk — immediately
  • Dutch: ineens — immediately
  • Esperanto: tuj — immediately
  • Finnish: heti — immediately
  • Finnish: oitis — immediately
  • Finnish: välittömästi — immediately
  • Finnish: viipymättä — immediately
  • Finnish: hetimmiten — immediately
  • Finnish: pikimmiten — immediately
  • French: tout de suite — immediately
  • French: aussitôt — immediately
  • French: séance tenante — immediately
  • Galician: axiña — immediately
  • Galician: decontado — immediately
  • Galician: a fío — immediately
  • Galician: á coxa — immediately
  • German: sofort — immediately
  • German: unverzüglich — immediately
  • Greek: αμέσως (amésos) — immediately
  • Ancient Greek: εὐθύς (euthús) — immediately
  • Ancient Greek: εὐθέως (euthéōs) — immediately
  • Ancient Greek: αὐτίκα (autíka) — immediately
  • Hindi: हाथों हाथ (hāthõ hāth) — immediately
  • Hindi: तुरंत (turant) — immediately
  • Hungarian: azonnal — immediately
  • Hungarian: menten — immediately
  • Hungarian: rögtön — immediately
  • Hungarian: tüstént — immediately
  • Hungarian: nyomban — immediately
  • Hungarian: azon nyomban — immediately
  • Hungarian: máris — immediately
  • Hungarian: mindjárt — immediately
  • Ido: quik — immediately
  • Ingrian: järkenää — immediately
  • Ingrian: hetin — immediately
  • Ingrian: järestää — immediately
  • Istriot: soûbito — immediately
  • Italian: immediatamente — immediately
  • Italian: subito — immediately
  • Japanese: すぐに (sugu-ni) — immediately
  • Ladino: pishin — immediately
  • Ladino: devista — immediately
  • Ladino: en vista — immediately
  • Latin: statim — immediately
  • Māori: ināianei tonu — immediately
  • Norwegian: straks — immediately
  • Norwegian Bokmål: med én gang — immediately
  • Norwegian Bokmål: med en gang — immediately
  • Old Church Slavonic: абиѥ (abije) — immediately
  • Old English: þǣrrihte — immediately
  • Polish: zaraz — immediately
  • Polish: od razu — immediately
  • Polish: natychmiast — immediately
  • Portuguese: imediatamente — immediately
  • Portuguese: de imediato — immediately
  • Portuguese: na hora — immediately
  • Romanian: imediat — immediately
  • Romanian: îndată — immediately
  • Russian: сра́зу (srázu) — immediately
  • Russian: неме́дленно (nemédlenno) — immediately
  • Russian: сейча́с же (sejčás že) — immediately
  • Russian: ту́т же (tút že) — immediately
  • Scottish Gaelic: anns a' bhad — immediately
  • Scottish Gaelic: sa bhad — immediately
  • Scottish Gaelic: gu grad — immediately
  • Serbo-Croatian: о̏дма̄х — immediately
  • Serbo-Croatian: ȍdmāh — immediately
  • Spanish: enseguida — immediately
  • Spanish: ahora mismo — immediately
  • Spanish: a seguido — immediately
  • Spanish: de seguido — immediately
  • Spanish: a seguida — immediately
  • Spanish: de seguida — immediately
  • Spanish: en seguida — immediately
  • Spanish: seguidamente — immediately
  • Spanish: altiro — immediately
  • Spanish: ipso facto — immediately
  • Spanish: al toque — immediately
  • Spanish: en un santiamén — immediately
  • Spanish: en un plis plas — immediately
  • Spanish: de bote y voleo — immediately
  • Spanish: de una vez — immediately
  • Spanish: de una — immediately
  • Spanish: ya mero — immediately
  • Swahili: mara — immediately
  • Swedish: genast — immediately
  • Swedish: med en gång — immediately
  • Swedish: omedelbart — immediately
  • Swedish: direkt — immediately
  • Swedish: på direkten — immediately
  • Turkish: derhâl — immediately
  • Turkish: çabucak — immediately
  • Turkish: hemen — immediately
  • Turkish: tezden — immediately
  • Ukrainian: відра́зу (vidrázu) — immediately
  • Ukrainian: за́раз (záraz) — immediately
  • Venetan: sùito — immediately
  • Venetan: sùvito — immediately
  • Welsh: heb oedi — immediately