adjective
- Belonging to some prior time.
- usage: "erstwhile friend"; "our former glory"; "the once capital of the state"; "her quondam lover"
adverb
- At a previous time.
- usage: "at one time he loved her"; "her erstwhile writing"; "she was a dancer once";
- synonyms: once, formerly, at one time, erst
WordNet 3.0 © 2006 by Princeton University
| APA | WordNet. (2010). erstwhile. Retrieved September 20, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/erstwhile/definitions/1173509 |
| Chicago | WordNet. 2010. "erstwhile" http://smartdefine.org/erstwhile/definitions/1173509 (accessed September 20, 2026). |
| Harvard | WordNet 2010, erstwhile, Smart Define, viewed 20 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/erstwhile/definitions/1173509>. |
| MLA | WordNet. "erstwhile" 23 October 2010. Web. 20 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/erstwhile/definitions/1173509> |