at once
Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.
Meaning · English
happening or done immediately
Literally: at one time
Register: neutral
Examples
I need you to finish the report at once.
AI-drafted example auto-approved by rule (illustrative, not a corpus attestation)
Sources & notes
Everyday learner phrase (CEFR B2); level cross-referenced from published learner lists. Definition pending editorial review. Definition drafted by AI (@cf/meta/llama-3.3-70b-instruct-fp8-fast) and auto-approved by rule on 2026-08-01; pending editor spot-check.
Common questions
What does “at once” mean?
happening or done immediately Literally: at one time
Is “at once” formal or informal?
at once is generally neutral.