Erstwhile and Past

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

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

Past

Past adjective - Having been such at some previous time.
Usage example: a past editor of the newspaper

Erstwhile is a synonym for past in previous topic. You can use "Erstwhile" instead an adjective "Past", if it concerns topics such as bygone, former, precede, olden. popular alternative

Both words in one sentence

  • Armor Is Useless An erstwhile inventor has-for the past several decades-been trying to build a bear-proof suit of armor.
  • But things changed as the villains got nastier: Jack was tortured, his Horror Hunger intensified, his mortal best friend's horrific past was revealed, and the erstwhile subversion of Wangst was nearly Driven to Suicide.
Cite this Source
Past and Erstwhile. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 16, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/erstwhile/past
Erstwhile & Past. N.p., 2016. Web. 16 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/erstwhile/past>.
Past or Erstwhile. 2016. Accessed August 16, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/erstwhile/past.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "erstwhile" and "past" have occurred on timeline