upon a time

English

Prepositional phrase

upon a time

1. (dated) At a certain time; at a particular time.
   • 1844, Robert Burns, John Wilson, The Works of Robert Burns, page 160:

     ... one of the servant girls made faith that she upon a time rashly entered into the house, to speak, in your cant, "in the hour of cause."

   • 1888, Charles Talbut Onions, James Augustus Henry Murray, Sir William Alexander Craigie (editors), A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles (cited text refers to P. Holland's translation of Plutarch's Morals (1603), page 574:

     Captaine Timotheus having upon a time beene at a sober and frugall scholars supper.

   • 2012, John Bunyan, The Holy War, Annotated Companion to the Pilgrim's Progress (a republication of Bunyan's original work in 1682), page 212:

     Well, after a while the Captains and stout ones of the town of Mansoul agreed, and resolved upon a time to make a salley out upon the camp of Diabolus, ...

2. (dated) Infrequently.

Usage notes

• Not to be confused with once upon a time, which has a different meaning.