one-time

one-time — adjective

1. used before a noun to show that a person once held a role or had a relationship,

1.形容詞B2
釋義

used before a noun to show that a person once held a role or had a relationship, but no longer does

例句

The article quoted a one-time adviser to the president of Chile.

one-time + role noun = former office holder

Lara met her one-time piano teacher at the night market.

同義詞
  • former

    the usual word in most modern English

  • ex-

    shorter and more informal, often used as a prefix

  • past

    broader and often more formal in institutional contexts

反義詞
  • current

    holding the role now

  • present

    belonging to the role or relationship now

文法句型

one-time + role noun

one-time + relationship noun

用法筆記

Almost always comes directly before a noun such as friend, partner, adviser, or mayor. This meaning is more formal and less common than former, especially in everyday speech.

常見錯誤

❌My one-time friend still calls me every day.
✅My former friend still calls me every day.
💡in this sense, 'one-time' means the relationship belonged to the past, not that it happened once.

2. meant to happen, be paid, or be provided just once rather than as part of a regu

2.形容詞B2
釋義

meant to happen, be paid, or be provided just once rather than as part of a regular pattern

例句

The insurer offered a one-time payment after the kitchen flood.

one-time payment made once only

Caleb used a one-time code to sign in on the hotel tablet.

collocation: one-time code

同義詞
  • one-off

    very close in meaning, especially in British English

  • non-recurring

    more formal, often used in business or accounting

  • single-use

    narrower, usually for items designed to be used once

反義詞
  • recurring

    coming back again and again

  • regular

    happening in the usual repeated pattern

文法句型

one-time payment

one-time code

one-time event

用法筆記

Common with nouns such as payment, fee, offer, code, or event. Distinguish from sense 1 (FORMER ROLE), which refers to a past status rather than something that happens only once.

常見錯誤

❌The train is a one-time service every morning.
✅The train is a daily service every morning.
💡'one-time' means a single occasion, so it cannot describe something regular.

one-time — adverb