again

adverb

ə-ˈgen 

-ˈgin,

-ˈgān

1

a

: another time : once more : anew

It happened again.

I hope we meet again.

Please call again later.

Let's do this again soon.

Try it again. = Try it once again.

singing the song over and over again = singing the song again and again [=repeatedly, many times]

Every day, it's same thing all over again. [=exactly as before]

We had to start all over again. [=once more as if nothing had already been done]

Never again will I travel on a holiday weekend.

Oh no! Not again!

The meeting was postponed yet again.

b

: to a previous position or place

She stood up, and then sat (back) down again.

drove there and back again

2

a

—used to introduce a statement that repeats and stresses something previously said

Again, I ask, why are you doing this?

b

—used to introduce a thought or possibility that differs from a preceding one

They might forget, and again they might not.

—usually used in the phrase then again

Then again, she might change her mind. = She might change her mind, and then again, she might not.

The car's battery seems dead, but then again, the problem could be the starter.

3

—used to ask someone to repeat something that was not heard or understood clearly

I'm sorry, what was your name again?

4

: in addition : besides

Again, there is another matter to consider.

5

archaic : in return : back

… swore he would pay him again when he was able.

—William Shakespeare

Synonyms

• afresh
• anew
• de novo
• over

Examples of again in a Sentence

Please, come see us again.

It was nice to see my friends again.

She wants to prove that she can do it again.

Things are back to normal again.

When we heard the news, we all said, “Oh no! Not again!”.

She demonstrated yet again her remarkable artistic talents.

It'll just be the same thing all over again.

When he stood up, he got so dizzy that he had to sit down again.

Recent Examples on the Web

That means the federal government and the pharmaceuticals industry are about to go head-to-head once again. —Sydney Lupkin, NPR, 17 Jan. 2025

The unfolding disaster reopened wounds of the pandemic and the fear of being forced to stay inside once again. —Pamela McClintock, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Jan. 2025

Though the Justice Department’s experts once again toured the remaining pediatric nursing homes, in May and June of 2022, records of their findings have been sealed or redacted in the court file. —Carol Marbin Miller, Miami Herald, 17 Jan. 2025

The city of Little Rock will once again use the Dunbar Community Center as a 24-hour cold-weather shelter starting Sunday at 6 p.m. Located at 1001 W. Subscribe to continue reading, or log in. —Joseph Flaherty, arkansasonline.com, 17 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English ayen, ayein, ayan, ageyn, again "back, in the opposite direction, to a former state, once more, another time," going back to Old English ongeagn, ongeæn, ongēan, ongān, ongegn, ongēn, agēn (Northumbrian ongægn, ongǣn), (compare parallel compounds in Old Saxon angegin "once more, toward," Old High German ingagan, ingegin "in opposition") from on-, a- on entry 1, a- entry 1 + -geagn (going back to Germanic *gagna-, whence Old High German gagan "towards, against," Old Norse gagn- "against, counter, through") or -gegn (going back to Germanic *gagni-, whence Old Saxon & Old High German gegin "against," Old Frisian jēn, Old Norse gegn)

Note: It has been assumed that certain Old English forms, such as ongeagn, reflected an original *gagna-, and others, such as ongegn, an original *gegni-, though the evidence for the latter in Old English is not entirely clear. The rare instances of ongegn could represent "palatal monophthongization" of ongeagn, while ongēn would be a contraction of ongegn—this would leave only reflexes of *gagna- in Old English. Old English ongān (continued in Middle English ayan) apparently represents a monophthongization of ongēan after the crest of the diphthong had shifted forward. Middle English ayen, the most common southern form well into the 14th century, may be the outcome of either ongēan or ongēn. The form ayein would appear to directly continue ongegn. Originally northern again is presumed to have the velar /g/ from Old Norse i gegn. The shortened vowel in the usual pronunciation of again is probably due to against, where it was conditioned by the final consonant cluster. The origin of Germanic *gagna-, *gegni- (Gothic correspondent lacking) is obscure.

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 5

Phrases Containing again

• again and again
• all over again
• and then again
• born-again
• but then again
• come again
• every now and again
• half again as
• half again as much/many as
• half as much/many again as
• how's that (again)
• never again
• Not again
• on-again, off-again
• once again
• once again/more
• over and over again
• rise again
• same again
• then again
• think again
• time and again
• yet again
• you can say that again

Kids Definition

again

adverb

ə-ˈgen 

-ˈgin,

-ˈgān

1

: in return

send the message and bring us word again

2

: another time : anew

come see us again

3

: in addition

half as much again

4

: on the other hand

I may, and again I may not

5

: moreover, further

again, there is another matter to consider

Etymology

Old English ongēan "opposite, back"