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
Past adjective - Having been such at some previous time.
Usage example: a past editor of the newspaper
Mutual synonyms
Both words in one sentence
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An erstwhile inventor has-for the past several decades-been trying to build a bear-proof suit of armor.
Source: Armor Is Useless - 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.
Source: Cerebus Syndrome / Literature
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