Erstwhile

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈɜː(ɹ)st.waɪl/

Definitions

1. Former or previous in time, having existed or been the case in the past but no longer so in the present
2. Having been in the past but not currently active or relevant
3. Referring to something that once existed or was true but is no longer the case

Etymology: "Erstwhile" is a compound built from "erst", meaning "first" or "formerly", and "while", meaning a period of time. Put together, the two parts once described something that happened at an earlier time, which is exactly what the adjective still means today: a former husband, an erstwhile champion, a previous holder of a title. The surprise lies in "erst" itself. In Old English, "ærest" meant "first" in the sense of earliest in order, and it was closely related to "ær", "before". Over the centuries, "erst" drifted from describing the first in a sequence to describing what came earlier in time, and English speakers came to use it as a plain word for "formerly". By the time "erstwhile" was formed, "erst" had grown rare on its own, which is why the compound now feels more like a single unit than a pairing of two words. Note that "erstwhile" is a formation in English rather than a borrowing, so its history is entirely native. Its "while" element is the same word that appears in "a while ago" and "worthwhile", so the adjective is essentially saying "formerly for a time."

Synonyms: former, previous

Antonyms: current, present