erstwhile

UK:**UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ˈɜːrsthwaɪl/US:USA pronunciation: respellingUSA pronunciation: respelling(ûrst′hwīl′, -wīl′)


WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
erst•while  (ûrst′hwīl′, -wīl′),USA pronunciation adj. 
  1. former;
    of times past:erstwhile friends.

adv. 
  1. [Archaic.]formerly;
    erst.
  • erst + while 1560–70
    1. . past, bygone, previous.
    1. . current, present.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
erstwhile /ˈɜːstˌwaɪl/ adj
  1. former; one-time
 adv
  1. archaic long ago; formerly
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'erstwhile' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
estrange - former - whilom

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