Erstwhile

Pronunciation

• UK IPA: /ˈɜː(ɹ)st.waɪl/
• US IPA: /ˈɝst.waɪl/

Origin

erst + while

Full definition of erstwhile

Adverb

1. Formerly; in the past.

Synonyms

• erewhile

Adjective

1. (literary, legal) Former, previous.
• 1905, w, w:The Case of Miss Elliott Chapter 2, “Scarcely had Alice reached her twentieth birthday, than she gave her erstwhile fiancée sic his formal congé. â€¦â€

Synonyms

• (former, previous) former, once, previous, quondam, onetime