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Glite Dictionary
quondam

quondam

9.9
Once in a role or position but not now
  • adjective
  • /ˈkwɒndəm/
  • Archaic
translation icon : antiguo
  • She visited her quondam school, reminiscing about the old days with her friends.

Examples

  • The quondam king now lives in anonymity, far away from the throne.

  • Indeed, this state of affairs is in large part due to the efforts of one Mitt Romney, quondam governor of Massachusetts.

    Blog text (15)

  • He is a quondam member of the council, having resigned last year.

Synonyms

former
vsquondam
∞ 1.0

Existing earlier or having held a role before

is more formal or literary rather than plain
one-time
vsquondam
55 4.5

A person or thing that used to be something but is not now

is more literary and less common in modern speech
onetime
vsquondam
12 5.6

Formerly having a particular job or status

is written in an older or literary style rather than casual usage
erstwhile
vsquondam
  • Formal
9 8.4

From an earlier time and not happening now

is more archaic and Latinate compared with this mildly formal term
sometime
vsquondam
  • Formal
3 5.5

Having had a job or role in the past, not now

is more formal and archaic than this everyday usage
whilom
vsquondam
  • Archaic
9.9

From earlier times and no longer used to talk about people or things

is a Latinate word used in literary or historical contexts more than this
erewhile
vsquondam
  • Archaic
9.9

A person, thing, or role from an earlier time

is an archaic alternative rarely used in modern communication

Surface Forms

quondam positive

Etymology

Quondam comes from the Latin quondam, which means 'once' or 'at one time'. So calling someone quondam means they were in that role before but are not now.