ówczesny

Ówczesny is a Polish adjective meaning belonging to or characteristic of a particular time in the past, i.e., "that time's" or "the then." It is used to describe things that existed or occurred during a specified historical period, helping to distinguish past conditions from the present or other eras. The term is common in historical writing, journalism, and literature.

Usage of ówczesny typically appears with nouns referring to events, institutions, situations, or people. Examples include ówczesna polityka (the politics of that time), ówczesny premier (the prime minister at that time), or ówczesne prawo (the law in force then). The expression emphasizes temporal context rather than current status; it does not simply mean "former" in a general sense, but specifically "as it was at that time."

Grammar and inflection: ówczesny is an adjective and agrees with the gender and number of the noun it modifies. Masculine singular: ówczesny; feminine singular: ówczesna; neuter singular: ówczesne. Plural forms are masculine personal: ówczesni; other plural forms (feminine/plural neuter) typically take ówczesne.

Etymology and nuance: the word stems from the adverb ówczas meaning "at that time." It conveys a precise temporal reference, contrasting with phrases like dawno temu (long ago) or obecny (current). In translation, it is often rendered as "that so-called then" or simply "the then" to capture the temporal focus.