erstwhile
Americanadjective
adverb
adjective
adverb
Etymology
Origin of erstwhile
Explanation
If your dad used to play in a punk band, but is now a computer programmer, you could call him an erstwhile punk rocker. Erstwhile means "former." Erstwhile comes from Old English and is a formal way to say "former." You can go to your class reunion 20 years after you graduate high school and see your erstwhile friends. That means that they had been your friends, but you lost touch with them, so that they weren't friends of yours anymore. Erstwhile can also be used as an adverb, meaning “formerly or once” — “Erstwhile, I was a member of the high school debate team.”
Vocabulary lists containing erstwhile
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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Ancient Wisdom: Synonyms for "Old"
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Word Warriors: Four Years of Words Worth Reviving
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Erstwhile ace Walker Buehler also returned from a second Tommy John surgery in early May, and three-time National League Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw is expected to return from shoulder surgery this summer.
From Los Angeles Times • May 20, 2024
Erstwhile comedian Volodymyr Zelensky is now lionized as an inspirational leader across much of the globe.
From Washington Post • Jan. 6, 2023
Erstwhile aces Chris Sale and David Price were shut down before the end of the year, and baseball boss Dave Dombrowski was fired.
From Seattle Times • Sep. 30, 2019
Erstwhile Johnson nemesis and slightly dubious Brexiteer Michael Gove is now head of the Cabinet Office, a position that for extremely British reasons is technically called “Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.”
From Slate • Jul. 25, 2019
Erstwhile, where money had had power to tempt, he had seen that money had power to comfort, too—but not here! not here!
From A Pasteboard Crown A Story of the New York Stage by Morris, Clara
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
