ERSTWHILE

once, formerly, at one time, erstwhile, erst

(adverb) at a previous time; “at one time he loved her”; “her erstwhile writing”; “she was a dancer once”

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Adverb

erstwhile (not comparable)

Formerly; in the past.

Synonyms

• erewhile

Adjective

erstwhile (not comparable)

(literary, legal) Former, previous.

Synonyms: former, once, previous, quondam, onetime, Thesaurus:former

(proscribed) Respected, honourable.

Usage notes

The use of erstwhile to mean “respected” stems from a conflation with esteemed in phrases such as erstwhile colleague and is proscribed by most authorities.

Anagrams

• wehrlites

Source: Wiktionary


Erst`while", adv.

Definition: Till then or now; heretofore; formerly. [Archaic]

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

16 January 2025

BOOK

(noun) a collection of rules or prescribed standards on the basis of which decisions are made; “they run things by the book around here”


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Coffee Trivia

According to Guinness World Records, the largest collection of coffee pots belongs to Robert Dahl (Germany) and consists of 27,390 coffee pots as of 2 November 2012, in Rövershagen, Germany.

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