Erstwhile and Former

Erstwhile

Erstwhile adjective - Having been such at some previous time.
Usage example: my erstwhile friend ignored me when I ran into her at the mall

Former is a synonym for erstwhile in bygone topic. In some cases you can use "Former" instead the word "Erstwhile" as an adjective or an adverb, when it comes to topics like precede. popular alternative

Former

Former adjective - Having been such at some previous time.
Usage example: the coach is a former professional baseball player

Erstwhile is a synonym for former in bygone topic. You can use "Erstwhile" instead the word "Former" as an adjective or an adverb, if it concerns topics such as precede, one-time, previous, previous in time or order. popular alternative

Nearby Word: formerly

Both words in one sentence

  • Hiyori Sarugaki, Visored and erstwhile vice-captain to Shinji Hirako, delights in hitting people with her sandal, kicking people in the face, and labeling her cohort and former CO a "dickhead".
  • Series / Chuck Bartowski: the super-sexy CIA agent Sarah Walker (Bryce's former partner and erstwhile lover), and the borderline psycho NSA man, John Casey.
Cite this Source
Former and Erstwhile. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 14, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/erstwhile/former
Erstwhile & Former. N.p., 2016. Web. 14 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/erstwhile/former>.
Former or Erstwhile. 2016. Accessed August 14, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/erstwhile/former.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "erstwhile" and "former" have occurred on timeline