erstwhile
AI In plain words
Writing a short explanation…
Written by a house AI from the entry below, in your language. The entry itself is the source.
erstwhile
- /ˈɜː(ɹ)st.waɪl/ UK
- /ˈɝst.waɪl/ US
Where it comes from
From erst (“first, formerly”) + while.
adverb
- Formerly; in the past.
adjective
- Former, previous. “Scarcely had Alice reached her twentieth birthday, than she gave her erstwhile fiancée^([sic]) his formal congé.[…]”
- Respected, honourable. If you're for one of my erstwhile opponents, that's O.K. Just don't work too hard.
