whilom
- adjective
- /ˈwaɪləm/
- Archaic
:
antiguo
- He spoke fondly of his whilom teacher, who had inspired him years ago.
Examples
-
In the whilom days of my youth, we played outside until dark.
-
Many stories were told about the whilom residents of the old manor.
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The whilom champion returned to the arena to watch the new competitors.
-
She was a whilom champion of the sport.
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In our hometown, there was a whilom bakery that served the best bread before it closed down.
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The whilom king was remembered fondly by his people for his fair rule in the past.
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She often reminisced about her whilom adventures as a traveler before settling down.
Synonyms
∞
1.0
Existing earlier or having held a role before
16
8.0
From an earlier time that is now past
9
8.4
From an earlier time and not happening now
8
4.8
From a time very long ago
A person, thing, or role from an earlier time
Once in a role or position but not now
Antonyms
Surface Forms
Etymology
Whilom comes from an old English word like while, which meant 'a time' or 'a short while', so whilom came to mean 'formerly' or 'in the past'. A helpful picture is a whilom friend — someone from 'a while' ago — which shows why the word describes someone or something that existed before.