erstwhile

1 of 2

adverb

erst·​while ˈərst-ˌ(h)wī(-ə)l 

: in the past : formerly

cultures, erstwhile unknown to each other

—Robert Plank

erstwhile

2 of 2

adjective

: former, previous

erstwhile enemies

Did you know?

The adverb erstwhile has been part of English since at least the 16th century, but it is formed from two words that are much older. It comes from the Old English words aer, meaning "early," and hwil, which has the same meaning as the modern word while. (The English word ere, meaning "before," is also a descendant of aer.) These days erstwhile is more likely to be encountered as an adjective, as in "erstwhile enemies." That adjective use is a much more recent development, having joined the language about three centuries after the adverb.

Synonyms

Adverb

• formerly
• once
• onetime

Adjective

• former
• late
• old
• once
• onetime
• other
• past
• quondam
• sometime
• whilom

Examples of erstwhile in a Sentence

Adverb

there's now a store where erstwhile lay green and pleasant pastures

Adjective

my erstwhile friend ignored me when I ran into her at the reunion

Recent Examples on the Web

Adverb

In South Africa’s middle class suburban areas, including Randburg, where there’s more visible policing, lockdown measures are being tightly enforced, leaving several erstwhile busy stalls and shopping areas empty. —Quartz Africa, 4 Apr. 2020

Adjective

The 2018 fire destroyed the National Museum’s entire collections of insects and spiders, as well as Egyptian mummies bought by the erstwhile Brazilian imperial family. —Michael Greshko, New York Times, 9 May 2024

Interestingly, each Kovalam Palace suite is named after a matriarch of the erstwhile ruling family. —Prasad Ramamurthy, Travel + Leisure, 7 May 2024

The erstwhile political couple were joined at the $3,000 a head shindig by a mixed bag of local luminaries including Derek and Hannah Jeter, influencer Paige Lorenze and Miami Dolphin player Tyreek Hill. —Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 6 May 2024

His political support group consists mainly of sycophants who seek status by riding his popular coattails, while the erstwhile staff of his late presidential office have either now become subjects for criminal prosecution or — if not blameworthy — are adamantly urging against his return. —Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 3 May 2024

The erstwhile speaker, who remains in touch with the ex-president, has been mentioned as a prospective recruit for a second Trump administration. —Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 21 Apr. 2024

Since then, it’s all gotten incredibly messy, starting with J. Cole recording an entire diss track about his erstwhile friend Lamar and then deciding to retract it and apologize — a fairly unprecedented move in hip-hop. —Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 19 Apr. 2024

Meanwhile, the high street and all of its designer collaborations – Kate Moss’s beloved line for Topshop and Giles Deacon’s erstwhile New Look offering – was reaching its zenith. —Daniel Rodgers, Vogue, 17 Apr. 2024

But the erstwhile allies then differed over plans for a new transition and the integration of the RSF rebel group into the regular army. —Kate Bartlett, NPR, 15 Apr. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Adverb

1569, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1849, in the meaning defined above

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Kids Definition

erstwhile

1 of 2 adverb

erst·​while ˈərst-ˌ(h)wīl 

: in the past : once, formerly

erstwhile

2 of 2 adjective

: former sense 3, previous