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Word a Day

erstwhile

adjective · /ˈɝˌstwaɪl/ · Level 3 · Advanced

What does erstwhile mean?

erstwhile (adjective): belonging to some prior time.

Definition: Princeton WordNet 3.1.

How do you use erstwhile in a sentence?

How do you pronounce erstwhile?

/ˈɝˌstwaɪl/ (IPA, American English). The app reads every word aloud.

Where does erstwhile come from?

From erst (“first, formerly”) + while.

Etymology: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.

What are synonyms of erstwhile?

From Princeton WordNet 3.1.

Test yourself: do you know “erstwhile”?

Tap an answer to check it. The same questions the app asks.

What does “erstwhile” mean?

filled with a great quantity

Not quite: that's what laden means.

every second one of a series

Not quite: that's what alternate means.

belonging to some prior time

Right! That's what “erstwhile” means.

done on purpose; intentional

Not quite: that's what deliberate means.

Which word is closest in meaning to “erstwhile”?

casual

Not quite: casual means something else.

strict

Not quite: strict means something else.

former

Right!

serial

Not quite: serial means something else.

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