erstwhile C2 Topic:Register & Style US /ˈɝst.waɪl/ UK /ˈɜː(ɹ)st.waɪl/ See IPA manual Freq #56982 Meanings 1 adj Respected, honourable. If you're for one of my erstwhile opponents, that's O.K. Just don't work too hard. Etymology From erst (“first, formerly”) + while. Topics Register & Style External links Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary Google Images # erstwhile **Type:** Word **Level:** C2 **Part of speech:** adj **IPA (US):** /ˈɝst.waɪl/ **IPA (UK):** /ˈɜː(ɹ)st.waɪl/ **Frequency rank:** 56982 ## Meanings 1. Respected, honourable. ## Examples - If you're for one of my erstwhile opponents, that's O.K. Just don't work too hard. ## Etymology From erst (“first, formerly”) + while. ## Topics - Register & Style markdown