erstwhile

American  

[urst-hwahyl, -wahyl] / ˈɜrstˌʰwaɪl, -ˌwaɪl /

adjective

1. former; of times past.

   erstwhile friends.

   Synonyms:

   previous, bygone, past

   Antonyms:

   present, current

---

adverb

1. Archaic. formerly; erst.

erstwhile British  

/ ˈɜːstˌwaɪl /

adjective

1. former; one-time

   my erstwhile companions

---

adverb

1. archaic long ago; formerly

Etymology

Origin of erstwhile

First recorded in 1560–70; erst + while

Example Sentences

One lesson that might worry the clerics and military men in Tehran comes from their erstwhile ally, former President Bashar al-Assad of Syria.

From BBC

He suggests that if the tech sector does start to meaningfully falter this may deliver a psychological shift among investors whereby the erstwhile winners are given the losers tag.

From MarketWatch

Suddenly, their erstwhile insignificant finale against Arizona on Sunday is vitally important.

From Los Angeles Times

Among the squad of friends, family, Hall of Fame athletes and erstwhile colleagues who contribute to “Boo-Yah: A Portrait of Stuart Scott,” a couple of consistent points get made.

From The Wall Street Journal

Time was when a literary score-settling by erstwhile lovers like Philip Roth and Claire Bloom took months or years to play out.

From The Wall Street Journal