erstwhile
adverb
\
Definition of erstwhile
(Entry 1 of 2)
erstwhile
adjectiveKeep scrolling for more
Synonyms for erstwhile
Synonyms: Adverb
Synonyms: Adjective
former, late, old, once, onetime, other, past, quondam, sometime, whilom
Visit the Thesaurus for More
Examples of erstwhile in a Sentence
Adverb
there's now a store where erstwhile lay green and pleasant pasturesAdjective
my erstwhile friend ignored me when I ran into her at the mallRecent Examples on the Web: Adjective
Look at Daniel Jones, the new toast of New York, surrounded by a swarm of reporters as erstwhile Super Bowl hero Eli Manning, mouth slightly agape, struggles to put on a shoe. — The Mmqb Staff, SI.com, "Favorite Storylines of the 2019 NFL Offseason," 30 Aug. 2019 The 5Stars’ erstwhile coalition partner, the far-right League, recently pulled the plug on that arrangement in the hope of triggering a fresh election and taking over entirely. — David Meyer, Fortune, "Excessive IPO Verbiage: CEO Daily," 29 Aug. 2019 When President Donald Trump floated the idea of buying Greenland, it was met with derision, seen as an awkward and inappropriate approach of an erstwhile ally. — Anchorage Daily News, "World powers increasingly see the Arctic as a hot property," 22 Aug. 2019 Still seems like a good idea ... Billy’s erstwhile musical partner. — Lori Sears, baltimoresun.com, "Everything you need to know about Billy Joel and seeing him at Oriole Park at Camden Yards," 24 July 2019 In 1947, after India's independence from British colonial rule, the erstwhile ruler of Jammu and Kashmir was given an option to accede to either Pakistan or India and, in exchange for protection, chose the latter. — Swati Gupta, CNN, "Kashmir remains paralyzed by lockdown as resentment simmers," 16 Aug. 2019 This Bushnell has softer edges than the erstwhile Observer columnist. — Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, "“Is There Still Sex in the City?” and the Decline of a Particular Fantasy Life," 13 Aug. 2019 The erstwhile candidate for governor smiled broadly in his mug shot. — Reis Thebault, Washington Post, "Former GOP candidate shot a process server, then threatened ‘large amounts of deaths,’ police say," 1 Aug. 2019 Wearing a Pendleton shirt, a ball cap, dark pants and a phone pressed against his left ear, the erstwhile member of the Hampton 5 didn’t necessarily look ready for a hard backdoor cut. — Gary Peterson, The Mercury News, "Ex-Warrior Kevin Durant spied walking in West Hollywood — without crutches," 1 Aug. 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'erstwhile.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more