Synonyms of erstwhile

erstwhile 1 of 2

adjective

as in former

having been such at some previous time

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• former
• old
• other
• late
• past
• onetime
• once
• quondam
• defunct
• sometime
• whilom
• bygone
• departed
• vanished
• long-ago
• extinct
• expired
• gone
• dead

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• current
• present
• contemporary
• ongoing
• prospective
• future
• extant
• present-day
• unborn
• coming

erstwhile

2 of 2

adverb

ˈərst-ˌ(h)wī(-ə)l 

as in formerly

at an earlier or previous time

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• formerly
• once
• onetime

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• recently
• now
• currently
• presently
• lately

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of erstwhile

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, 20 Sep. 2026

Adverb

That places an extra burden on holdovers Chris Sale, Spencer Strider, and Reynaldo Lopez, erstwhile All-Stars who had their own injury issues last year. — Dan Schlossberg, Forbes.com, 18 Feb. 2026

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