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erstwhile

[ urst-hwahyl, -wahyl ]
/ ˈɜrstˌʰwaɪl, -ˌwaɪl /
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adjective
former; of times past: erstwhile friends.
adverb
Archaic. formerly; erst.
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Origin of erstwhile

First recorded in 1560–70; erst + while

Words nearby erstwhile

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use erstwhile in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for erstwhile

erstwhile
/ (ˈɜːstˌwaɪl) /

adjective
former; one-timemy erstwhile companions
adverb
archaic long ago; formerly
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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