Quondam

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈkwɒndəm/

Definitions

1. Former or one-time; referring to something or someone that existed or held a position in the past but no longer does
2. Having previously been or existed in a certain state, role, or condition but no longer so
3. Describing a status, position, or condition that belonged to the past and is no longer current

Etymology: Latin "quondam" meant "formerly" or "once upon a time," built from "quom" (an old form of "cum," "when") and "dam," a particle meaning "at a time" or "still." Its core sense was temporal: something that happened at some point in the past. English borrowed the word directly from Latin, and it has stayed in the language as a formal, slightly antique way of saying "former." Its relative "whilom" shows the same idea arriving by a different route. Both words point backward to a moment that is over, which is why they sit so comfortably together in older writing. Used before a noun, "quondam" now flags a person or thing that once held a role and no longer does, as in "the quondam leader of the club."

Synonyms: former, previous, once, erstwhile, past

Antonyms: current, present, future, new, modern