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quondam

adjective

ˈkwän-dəm How to pronounce quondam (audio)
Definition of quondamnext
as in former
having been such at some previous time a quondam oil baron now living comfortably in retirement

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of quondam By coincidence, the same day that Reichstag burned, Einstein wrote to his quondam mistress, Margarete Lenbach. — Thomas Levenson, The Atlantic, 9 June 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quondam
  1. former
  2. erstwhile
  3. old
  4. other
Adjective
  • This time, the TPLF appears to have mobilized widely, bringing together former foes in its stated goal of removing Abiy from power in Addis Ababa, the federal capital.
    — SAMUEL GETACHEW, Arkansas Online, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Zeughauskeller, set inside a former armory, is another classic spot that serves Swiss staples like rösti.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of former
Adjective
  • The Project’s ranks now include about 80 fishermen manning 15 boats who also support the tagging and research of their erstwhile prey (their work has led to the recent world-first tagging of 10 tiger sharks in Indonesian waters).
    — Juliet Kinsman, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Three plays later, Kirk Cousins found Cody White with an 11-yard pass, the second touchdown of the day for the erstwhile practice-squad receiver.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of erstwhile
Adjective
  • Cora, 5, and Dawson, 3, died at the scene, but their youngest, 8-month-old Callan, was still alive when first responders arrived.
    — Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Also on the agenda is Russia's more than four-year-old war in Ukraine.
    — Antoni Slodkowski Reuters, Arkansas Online, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of old
Adjective
  • In other cases, Virginia prosecutors have previously brought their own expert witnesses to counter an insanity defense at trials or even disputed the claims without their own expert, according to reports and court records.
    — Hudson Crozier, The Washington Examiner, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Even though the analysis adjusted for several potential confounding factors, other unmeasured factors could still contribute to the observed relationship.
    — Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of other

Browse Nearby Words

quods
quondam
quota
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Cite this Entry

“Quondam.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quondam. Accessed 26 Sep. 2026.

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