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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The expiring boost, implemented in Democrats’ Inflation Reduction Act under former President Joe Biden, applies to 22 million of the 24 million low- and middle-income Americans with plans through the ACA marketplace.—
Ramsey Touchberry,
The Washington Examiner,
11 Sep. 2025
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Frantzve was also a former beauty queen, having been crowned Miss Arizona USA in 2012.—
Fernando Cervantes Jr,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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While Russia obsesses over Ukraine, its erstwhile friends and clients are quietly slipping away.—
Jeremy Shapiro,
The Atlantic,
10 Sep. 2025
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The decisions ultimately have dire consequences for both the erstwhile pals and everyone else living on Inisherin.—
Hannah Kerns,
PEOPLE,
7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Smith replied that private schools must submit renewal packets every year before they are approved to continue participation in the accounts program, and that the agency compares the new tuition rates against the older rates.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
12 Sep. 2025
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The reversal marks just one example of how Trump is rewriting Republicans’ decades-old playbook on countering Beijing’s influence in the United States and abroad.—
Christian Datoc,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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In order to embolden and support his organization, bin Laden often videotaped himself with messages aimed at his target audience, established training centers in Afghanistan, had an expansive funding network that included wealthy individuals, couriers, mosques and other complex ways to raise funds.—
Richard Frankel,
ABC News,
11 Sep. 2025
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Advertisement Kirk’s path to national prominence was unlike that of other MAGA icons.—
Eric Cortellessa,
Time,
11 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Quondam.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quondam. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.
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