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What is meaning of erstwhile and where is it used? How can I use this word in real life while texting, talking, and so on?

tchrist
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dips
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    Erstwhile is a formal term, use the more common former or one-time: http://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/american_english/erstwhile –  Aug 07 '15 at 06:20
  • @Josh61 You said: I'd say it is formal and used mainly in writing, but far from disappeared and "it's alive and kicking" To which I replied it is rarely heard or used etc. (see comments below Candied Orange). Where in any of these dictionary entries does it say that the term is used mostly in writing. And by the way, a formal term can still be very commonly heard and used. 1) http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/erstwhile 2) http://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/american_english/erstwhile 3) http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/erstwhile?s=t – Mari-Lou A Aug 07 '15 at 11:46
  • Do those dictionaries say it is rarely used or heard? They usually do with rare terms. –  Aug 07 '15 at 11:55
  • @Andrew Leach- can you please post what OED says about 'erstwhile'? I don't have access to it. –  Aug 07 '15 at 12:07
  • oed says erstwhile means former http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/erstwhile – dips Aug 07 '15 at 12:11
  • oxforddictionaries.com is not OED: that's oed.com. @josh OED says "adverb: formerly, archaic; adjective: former, literary." The latest citation is 1881 for the adverb and 1925 for the adjective, but the entry is long overdue for an update. – Andrew Leach Aug 07 '15 at 12:25
  • It's a pity the question has been closed for lack of research, because just looking up the word in a dictionary doesn't tell you how, when or if to use it in text, or everyday speech. If the OP wishes to reopen the question all he need do is cite one or two definitions from two different dictionaries and then ask: "How and when do I use the term erstwhile in real life, in a conversation, if I'm texting, or writing anything." – Mari-Lou A Aug 07 '15 at 13:29

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Erstwhile means former, as in, no longer. It is archaic. You can use it in real life so long as you're in period dress at a renaissance fair. Other than that expect people to look at you funny. Well actually, I can't guarantee they won't do that at the fair either...

candied_orange
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    I'd say it is formal and used mainly in writing, but far from disappeared:https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=erstwhile&year_start=1800&year_end=2000&corpus=15&smoothing=3&share=&direct_url=t1%3B%2Cerstwhile%3B%2Cc0 –  Aug 07 '15 at 06:35
  • Ok, at a renaissance fair or as a film noir author. I still make no guarantees regarding looks. "Of all the answers to comment on he had to comment on mine...." – candied_orange Aug 07 '15 at 06:42
  • @Josh61 you know as well as I that Ngram does not "show" us how popular or common a single term is. Compare it with any of the suggested synonyms http://www.thesaurus.com/browse/erstwhile – Mari-Lou A Aug 07 '15 at 06:57
  • @Josh61 please look at Google Books results for "erstwhile" https://www.google.it/search?q=%22erstwhile%22&tbs=bks:1,cdr:1,cd_min:1991,cd_max:2000&lr=lang_en&gws_rd=cr,ssl&ei=GFfEVbSLD4vqUq__qcgD#q=%22erstwhile%22&lr=lang_en&tbs=cdr:1,cd_min:1991,cd_max:2000,lr:lang_1en&tbm=bks&start=10 It is extremely rare, possibly found in print, but nowadays nobody actually "says" it. I can't upvote this answer because it's a little too flippant, and it ignores the other uses of erstwhile. – Mari-Lou A Aug 07 '15 at 07:00
  • @Mari-LouA - that's not the point I was making, erstwhile is still alive and kicking despite it is not a common term. –  Aug 07 '15 at 07:02
  • @Mari-LouA - As an adjective ODO doesn't even mention it is formal http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/erstwhile while OLD properly does IMO.http://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/erstwhile –  Aug 07 '15 at 07:10
  • @Mari-LouA I didn't ignore other uses, I contrasted them with one example that might actually make usage appropriate (even if still annoying). Also, I take my flippancy very seriously. Calling it "little" is getting personal. Now, I shall go pout. Hmmf. – candied_orange Aug 07 '15 at 07:15
  • @Mari-LouA . I do run into this term often enough not to have to resort to a dictionary to check what it means. It is not common, it is just formal. –  Aug 07 '15 at 07:16
  • @Josh61 please look at how erstwhile is used in Google Books 1990-2000 and then tell me "it's alive and kicking". Archaic does not mean obsolete, although perhaps "rarely used or heard" might be a more accurate way of describing it. Candied Orange is a native speaker, trust his judgement. – Mari-Lou A Aug 07 '15 at 07:21
  • @Mari-LouA - you mean the story about the renaissance fair... –  Aug 07 '15 at 07:22
  • @Josh61 a tux is formal, a powdered wig is formal. Being archaic isn't about being formal. It's about being out of style. https://www.google.com/search?q=Erstwhile&oq=Erstwhile&aqs=chrome..69i57j69i60&sourceid=chrome&es_sm=0&ie=UTF-8 – candied_orange Aug 07 '15 at 07:22
  • @Josh61 Renaissance fair... I wouldn't go as far back as that, I could imagine Charles Darwin using this expression. – Mari-Lou A Aug 07 '15 at 07:31
  • @Mari-LouA You misunderstand renaissance fairs. They are not about historical accuracy. They are a form of counter culture. The fact that erstwhile is still used today doesn't prove that it's in style. It proves that beatniks and their ilk love to resurrect old things because they're out of style. The moment it became popular they'd drop it. So be warned. Go around using this word and that's who you're making yourself seem like. Not that there's anything wrong with that... – candied_orange Aug 07 '15 at 07:36
  • I understand, I've watch TBBT too :) I'm not championing "erstwhile" as being current, it is Josh who does. I thought my links and comments were sufficiently clear. It's a pity the question has been closed for lack of research, because just looking up the word in a dictionary doesn't tell you how, when or if to use it in text, or everyday speech. – Mari-Lou A Aug 07 '15 at 11:00
  • can you tell me any simple sentence by using word erstwhile ? – dips Aug 07 '15 at 11:39
  • @Mari-LouA - "I'm not championing "erstwhile" as being current, it is Josh who does???" I clearly said, as any dictionary you may look up would tell you, that it is a formal term used mainly in writing. (Does this mean championing its usage as current?). It is a term discussed on the net https://www.google.it/#q=erstwhile+vs+former+ where there is not much hint to being "extinct". Curiously it has an entry also in the super slang UD: http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=erstwhile –  Aug 07 '15 at 11:41
  • @ ruakh, Josh61, Andrew Leach i want to ask you that why my question is off the topic ? erstwhile is archaic english word isn't it ? – dips Aug 07 '15 at 11:59
  • I, CandiedOrange, your erstwhile question answerer, will never stoop so low as to recite the word in proper context. Aw crap I already did. – candied_orange Aug 07 '15 at 13:30
  • Let it be alive until we get aggrandize meaning to erstwhile where oed just say it means former – dips Aug 07 '15 at 13:48