as in former
having been such at some previous time
a quondam oil baron now living comfortably in retirement
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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
Thomas Levenson, The Atlantic, 9 June 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quondam
Adjective
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Aaron Glenn stood in front of a crowd of reporters, Jets staffers and former Jets players at his introductory news conference as the franchise’s new head coach and announced to the world that things were going to be different with him in charge.—
Zack Rosenblatt,
New York Times,
28 Jan. 2026
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This, however, is the first time a former presidential couple has been jailed at the same time.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The erstwhile quarterback for the Judases should just stay home with Madison Beer, his erstwhile girlfriend, maybe take in a movie.—
Nick Canepa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
3 Jan. 2026
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Inside, a trove of occult objects attests to its erstwhile owner’s conception of the space as a funerary mansion for his soul in the afterlife.—
Javier Montes,
Artforum,
1 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Chicago police said a witness found the 46-year-old unresponsive on the floor of a home in the 10100 block of South State Street.—
Elyssa Kaufman,
CBS News,
28 Jan. 2026
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Today, Harry and his older brother, Prince William, remain estranged, royal experts say.—
Stephanie Nolasco , Ashley Papa,
FOXNews.com,
28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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This article was generated by the Bay Area Home Report Bot, software that analyzes home sales or other data and creates an article based on a template created by humans.—
Bay Area Home Report,
Mercury News,
27 Jan. 2026
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The data included not only tax returns but also investment details, stock trades, gambling winnings, audit determinations, and other financial information.—
Danielle Chemtob,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Quondam.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quondam. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
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