once; before; formerly; former; ex-
Indicates that something was true or existed at some unspecified time in the past, often implying it is no longer the case.
かつて means 'once' or 'formerly,' pointing to a time in the past that is now over. It carries a nostalgic or historical tone, and is often used in formal writing, speeches, or documentaries. In everyday conversation, it sounds a bit stiff, so you might hear it in interviews or news more than casual chat. It can modify verbs (かつて住んでいた), adjectives (かつての友人), or be used as a noun prefix (かつての恋人). Note that with a negative verb, it means 'never' (かつて...ない), as in 'I have never seen such a thing.'