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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Jack McGregor, a former state senator and the original founder of the Pittsburgh Penguins, died at the age of 91 on Tuesday.—
Michael Guise,
CBS News,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Notable alumni Plenty of former Canes players were on the sidelines pregame Thursday.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
9 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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Brake gently as needed - Brake normally if the vehicle has anti-lock brakes and pump brakes gently if in an older vehicle.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Jan. 2026
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Come late January or early February, Denver could be down its defensive coordinator, a whiz-kid offensive mind, and a slightly older whiz-kid defensive mind.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
10 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Newsom is certainly right that California is a great state and an economic engine unmatched by other states.—
Sal Rodriguez,
Oc Register,
9 Jan. 2026
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To address the problem, water managers many years ago lowered the levels, but the tree islands never recovered, leaving ghosts of islands that lack the elevation to support the majestic hardwoods found in other parts of the Everglades, such as cypress, pond apple and pop ash trees.—
Amy Green,
Miami Herald,
9 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Quondam.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quondam. Accessed 18 Jan. 2026.
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