as in former
having been such at some previous time
a quondam oil baron now living comfortably in retirement
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Recent Examples of quondam
By coincidence, the same day that Reichstag burned, Einstein wrote to his quondam mistress, Margarete Lenbach.
—
Thomas Levenson, The Atlantic, 9 June 2017
Thomas Levenson, The Atlantic, 9 June 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quondam
Adjective
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The visit by Ali Larijani, a former Iranian parliament speaker who now serves as the secretary to the country's Supreme National Security Council, likely focused on what comes next after the initial round of indirect talks held last week in Muscat with the Americans.—
JON GAMBRELL THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
Arkansas Online,
11 Feb. 2026
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The Lakers next play Thursday night here against the Mavericks, Doncic’s former team.—
Broderick Turner,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Directed and co-written by Alexandre Rockwell, the film follows an aspiring filmmaker (Steve Buscemi) who falls in with an irresistibly charming gangster (Seymour Cassel, who won Sundance’s first acting award) as his erstwhile producer.—
Mark Olsen,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Feb. 2026
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La Dolce Vita and the Minerva, which occupies the erstwhile palazzo of 17th-century aristocrats, debuted last April.—
Adam Erace,
Travel + Leisure,
6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Given James is 41 years old, there was always going to be load management absences, especially on back-to-backs.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
11 Feb. 2026
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Brain game may reduce risk of Alzheimer’s A certain type of brain training appears to prevent or delay dementia by some 25% in people older than age 65.—
Alexandra Banner,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Yakitori's menu also features several specialty items inspired by Chapman's soul food background, likely not found at other Japanese steakhouses.—
Haadiza Ogwude,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
10 Feb. 2026
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As for sales at Kering’s other brands, Saint Laurent was stable in Q4, marking another quarter of improvement, while Bottega Veneta was up 3%.—
Laure Guilbault,
Vogue,
10 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Quondam.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quondam. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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