The meaning of ERSTWHILE is in the past : formerly. How to use erstwhile in a sentence. Did you know? 2 meanings: 1. former; one-time 2. archaic long ago; formerly.... Click for more definitions. Erstwhile is an adjective that means previous or former. It is often used in formal contexts or with irony. Learn more about its usage, synonyms, and examples from literature and the Cambridge English Corpus. The word ' erstwhile ' has an interesting etymology. It originates from the Middle English term ' erstwhile ,' which is a combination of two Old English words: 'ǣr,' meaning 'before,' and 'hwīl,' meaning 'time' or 'while.' In essence, ' erstwhile ' can be traced back to the Old English phrase 'ǣr hwīl,' which denoted a specific point in time in the past. Over time, these words evolved and merged into the single term ' erstwhile ,' which now signifies something that existed or occurred in a ...
