erstwhile
Americanadjective
adverb
adjective
adverb
Etymology
Origin of erstwhile
Explanation
If your dad used to play in a punk band, but is now a computer programmer, you could call him an erstwhile punk rocker. Erstwhile means "former." Erstwhile comes from Old English and is a formal way to say "former." You can go to your class reunion 20 years after you graduate high school and see your erstwhile friends. That means that they had been your friends, but you lost touch with them, so that they weren't friends of yours anymore. Erstwhile can also be used as an adverb, meaning “formerly or once” — “Erstwhile, I was a member of the high school debate team.”
Vocabulary lists containing erstwhile
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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Ancient Wisdom: Synonyms for "Old"
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Word Warriors: Four Years of Words Worth Reviving
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The Suez moment marked the psychological transformation of two erstwhile great powers into medium powers with limited ability to influence the world around them.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 22, 2026
The erstwhile interim U.S. attorney, then, is in a pickle of his own making.
From Slate • Mar. 11, 2026
By the early aughts, erstwhile edgy rock stars like Courtney Love and Nina Gordon swapped their torn fishnets and rumpled slip dresses for French manicures and blown-out coifs.
From Salon • Feb. 19, 2026
He suggests that if the tech sector does start to meaningfully falter this may deliver a psychological shift among investors whereby the erstwhile winners are given the losers tag.
From MarketWatch • Jan. 2, 2026
“Poor Cristiana, to lose her love, though he was unworthy,” I say, surprised that I feel pity for my erstwhile enemy.
From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
