Meanings
- idiomaticFor the first time, after many instances to the contrary; in a rare exception to the rule; as an exception to the usual.
For once I would have taken him up upon his insulting wager.
1841, Edgar Allan Poe, Never Bet the Devil Your Head5 more examples
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 HeiressSell 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 FriendIn France, in Germany, in Austro-Hungary, in Italy, in the United States, writers of all shades of opinion, for once unanimous, have paid a willing tribute to the worth of our great countryman, ignored in life by the official representatives of the kingdom, but laid in death among his peers in Westminster Abbey by the will of the intelligence of the nation.
1882 April 27, “The Funeral Of Mr. Darwin”, in The TimesFor 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 IslandFor 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 strong
1968, Stevie Wonder, “Stevie Wonder”, in For Once in My LifeSynonyms: for a change
Synonyms & antonyms
prepositional phraseFor the first time, after many instances to the contrary; in a rare exception to the rule; as an exception to the usual.
Translations
Chinese Mandarin 破天荒, 難得 /难得
- 破天荒 (pòtiānhuāng)for the first time
- 難得 /难得 (nándé)in a rare exception to the rule
- 破天荒 (pòtiānhuāng)in a rare exception to the rule
Esperanto por unufoje
- por unufojein a rare exception to the rule
Finnish kerrankin, kerrankin
- kerrankinfor the first time
- kerrankinin a rare exception to the rule
French pour une fois
- pour une foisin a rare exception to the rule
German wenigstens einmal, wenigstens ein einziges Mal
- wenigstens einmalin a rare exception to the rule
- wenigstens ein einziges Malin a rare exception to the rule
Hungarian most az egyszer, ez egyszer
- most az egyszerin a rare exception to the rule
- ez egyszerin a rare exception to the rule
Italian per una volta, una volta tanto
- per una voltain a rare exception to the rule
- una volta tantoin a rare exception to the rule
Polish chociaż raz, dla odmiany
- chociaż razfor the first time
- dla odmianyin a rare exception to the rule
- na odmianęin a rare exception to the rule
Russian в ко́и-то ве́ки, на э́тот раз
- в ко́и-то ве́ки (v kói-to véki)in a rare exception to the rule
- на э́тот раз (na étot raz)in a rare exception to the rule
Swedish för en gångs skull
- för en gångs skullin a rare exception to the rule
Cite this entry
for once. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/for%20once
“for once.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/for%20once. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “for once,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/for%20once.
Source: for once on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.