erstwhile

American  

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

adjective

1. former; of times past.

   erstwhile friends.

   Synonyms:

   previous, bygone, past

   Antonyms:

   present, current

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adverb

1. Archaic. formerly; erst.

erstwhile British  

/ ˈɜːstˌwaɪl /

adjective

1. former; one-time

   my erstwhile companions

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adverb

1. archaic long ago; formerly

Etymology

Origin of erstwhile

First recorded in 1560–70; erst + while

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.”