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

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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

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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
Kimmel then asked about CBS and whether anyone from the network congratulated their erstwhile star Colbert for the Emmy wins. — Abid Rahman, HollywoodReporter, 16 Sep. 2026 But some of Jentleson’s erstwhile allies on the left are less sanguine about his project. — Jason Zengerle, New Yorker, 10 Sep. 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 In South Africa’s middle class suburban areas, including Randburg, where there’s more visible policing, lockdown measures are being tightly enforced, leaving several erstwhile busy stalls and shopping areas empty. — Quartz Africa, 4 Apr. 2020 See All Example Sentences for erstwhile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for erstwhile
  1. former
  2. formerly
  3. old
  4. once
  5. other
Adjective
  • Kim Aris, the London son of former Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi, said he was allowed a 20-minute phone call from the Nobel Peace Prize winner detained in her native country and who has not been seen publicly in five years.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Then last month, Kwan appointed former Rwandan Minister of State for Infrastructure Jean de Dieu Uwihanganye as RFO’s principal of emerging markets and business development to drive investment flows between Asia and Africa.
    — Angelica Ang, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of former
Adverb
  • Absentee investors act as hosts or hire property managers to handle bookings, packing as many as 14 people into formerly 2-bedroom units subdivided with unpermitted walls.
    — Linda Robertson Updated October 22, Miami Herald, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Zuckerberg said that Threads, the newest addition to the Family of Apps, has now overtaken X (formerly Twitter) in monthly active users, while WhatsApp is seeing all-time highs for messages sent.
    — Zev Fima, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of formerly
Adjective
  • An album-length EP by the 20-year-old producer is a dizzying and boundless collage of collages, using free-jazz logic and digital overload to chart new emotional terrain.
    — Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Rodrigo Valentim, a 51-year-old businessman and supporter of Bolsonaro, said another Lula government would harm the economy.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of old
Adverb
  • That has only happened once before for New York, in March 1989.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026
  • For example, once a rat has been trained to push a lever to get a treat, its dopamine levels will rise at the sight of the lever before the treat is even available.
    — Maia Szalavitz, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of once
Adjective
  • But Griffin’s focus on the Times story and other fallout has, acquaintances say, continued.
    — Ben Smith, semafor.com, 26 Oct. 2026
  • But many voters turned their backs on the party when Lula and other leaders became embroiled in corruption scandals in the 2010s.
    — Catherine Osborn, NPR, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of other

Browse Nearby Words

ersatz
erstwhile
eruct
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Cite this Entry

“Erstwhile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/erstwhile. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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