erstwhile 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of erstwhilenext
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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

erstwhile

2 of 2

adverb

ˈərst-ˌ(h)wī(-ə)l How to pronounce erstwhile (audio)
as in formerly
at an earlier or previous time there's now a store where erstwhile lay green and pleasant pastures

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 erstwhile
Adjective
Giuffre died by suicide last year, but, three years prior, the erstwhile prince had settled her civil suit against him. — Niall Stanage, The Hill, 28 Apr. 2026 With input from food historian Pushpesh Pant, chef Vijay Sahi has designed three tasting menus that reimagine the culinary whims of the erstwhile royals from across India. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 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 Candidates for the fifth spot include former postseason hero Ian Anderson, erstwhile All-Star Bryce Elder, and rookies AJ Smith-Shawver and Hurston Waldrep. After winning a surprise world championship in 2021, the Braves had two 100-win seasons without reaching the final round again. — Dan Schlossberg, Forbes, 10 Dec. 2024 See All Example Sentences for erstwhile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for erstwhile
  1. former
  2. formerly
  3. old
  4. once
  5. other
Adjective
  • Rick Jackson meets with two former foster children including Crystal Williams (left) at the Sloppy Floyd Building in January 2014 before heading to the Capitol for a meeting with lawmakers.
    — Riley Bunch, AJC.com, 10 July 2026
  • O'Connor is among roughly 30 judges, including two former federal judges and a current federal judge, who will participate in the tour.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 10 July 2026
Definition of former
Adverb
  • Nguyen founded Vintage Modern, formerly known as Vintage Broncos, to wrap classic car veneers around the latest vehicle undercarriages.
    — Zachary Hansen, AJC.com, 10 July 2026
  • For Nourish Up, formerly Loaves & Fishes and Friendship Trays, almost 70% of those served through its grocery and meal services do not receive SNAP benefits, according to CEO Tina Postel.
    — Laura Horne, Charlotte Observer, 10 July 2026
Definition of formerly
Adjective
  • Meek, a 10-year-old Black girl, is grappling with her fears of nuclear Armageddon as more prosaic domestic concerns kick into high gear.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026
  • However, that is changing as the US Department of Defense seeks more robust, less vulnerable power systems for military satellites that are less hazardous than the older spacecraft powered by uranium and plutonium.
    — David Szondy July 07, New Atlas, 8 July 2026
Definition of old
Adverb
  • His mom, Elsa, once played on the Miami Hurricanes women’s tennis team, according to USA Today.
    — Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 10 July 2026
  • The lender trusted Nguyen because his cousin had once been married to Nguyen in Vietnam.
    — Matthew Ormseth, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026
Definition of once
Adjective
  • Despite these complexities, active carriers maintain powerful air wings with F/A-18 Super Hornets and other advanced aircraft.
    — Peter Suciu, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026
  • For reasons that remain unclear, he was subsequently approved to be moved in with other detainees.
    — Jeff McDonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 July 2026
Definition of other

Browse Nearby Words

ersatz
erstwhile
eruct
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Theme music by Joshua Stamper ©2006 New Jerusalem Music/ASCAP

Cite this Entry

“Erstwhile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/erstwhile. Accessed 12 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on erstwhile

Nglish: Translation of erstwhile for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of fulcrum

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
banana-mirrored
Contradictory Words Quiz Pick out which word means one thing…and the opp...
See All