einst

\aɪ̯nst\

/\aɪ̯nst\/ adv

The verdict

“einst” is uncommon French (outside the top frequency list), classed as an adverb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency French
5
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Jadis, naguère, autrefois.

Corpus desk

Index FR-einst · einst · French

einst · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "E" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for einst
PropertyValue
Headwordeinst
LanguageFrench
Part of speechAdverb
IPA\aɪ̯nst\
Letters5
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Longue queue: rang de « einst » en français

einstn'entre pas dans le top 100.000 du français: zone de termes techniques, archaïques ou rares.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

einst is uncommon French outside the top frequency list, classed as anadverb, transcribed \aɪ̯nst\. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

einst has no tracked misspelling variants, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. Our dataset records no confusable match here, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct French form is einst, spelled E-I-N-S-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    Jadis, naguère, autrefois.
  2. 2
    Un jour.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how einst appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Er war einst ein berühmter Sänger.
  2. Was tut Chinas Parteiführung, wenn sie eine anhaltende Wirtschaftskrise nicht in den Griff bekommt? Zum Beispiel das: Sie lässt Ökonomen verschwinden, die den Ernst der Lage benennen. (...) Wie Stalin einst zu sagen pflegte: Mensch weg, Problem weg.

Synonyms

Antonyms

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "einst"?
"einst" is spelled E-I-N-S-T. The IPA pronunciation is \aɪ̯nst\.
What does "einst" mean?
As an adverb, "einst" means: Jadis, naguère, autrefois.
How do you pronounce "einst"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "einst" is \aɪ̯nst\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "einst" come from?
"einst" is a French word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list