JISUPOSTEnglish
ENGLISH DICTIONARY

Whilom

/ˈwaɪləm/ · adverb

Meaning

(archaic except literary) At some time in the past; formerly, once upon a time..

Definitions by Sense

  1. (archaic except literary) At some time in the past; formerly, once upon a time.
  2. At times, on occasion, sometimes.
  3. Preceded by of or this: for some time that has passed.
  4. (archaic except literary) At some time in the past; former, sometime.
  5. (obsolete) Of a person: deceased, late.
  6. During the same time that; while.
  7. Up to the time that; till, until.

Example Sentences

Lo I the man, vvhoſe Muſe vvhilome did maske, / As time her taught, in lowly Sheapards vveeds, / Am novv enforſt a far unfitter taske, […]
VVith ſuch an invention [a sumptuary law] did Zelevcus vvhilome correct the corrupted maners of the Locrines.
In Northern Clime a valorous Knight / Did whilom kill his Bear in fight, / And wound a Fidler: we have both / Of these the objects of our Wroth / And equal Fame and Glory from / Th' Attempt or Victory to come.
My vvarbling Lute, the Lute I vvhilom ſtrung / VVhen to King John of Portugal I ſung, / VVas but the Prelude to that glorious Day, / VVhen thou on Silver Thames did'ſt cut thy vvay, / VVith vvell-tim'd Oars before the Royal Barge, / Svvell'd vvith the Pride of thy Celeſtial charge; […]
The Squire himſelf novv ſallied forth, and begun to roar forth the Name of Sophia loudly, and in as hoarſe a Voice, as vvhileom did Hercules that of Hylas: […]
They who whilome, in midnight fight, / Had marvelled at her matchless might, / No less her maiden charms approved, / But looking liked, and liking loved.
Holding it [the skull of a hare] in the hand the shadow falls into and darkens the cavities once filled by the wistful eyes which whilom glanced down from the summit here upon the sweet clover fields beneath.
Wald ze be lov'd, this lessone mon ze leir; / Flie vhylome Love, and it will folou thee.

Synonyms for whilom

aforeaforehandalreadyantecedentlyat one timebeforebeforehandbeforetimeereerenowerewhileerstwhileerstwhilesforetimeformerlyin advancein the pastlateonceprecedentlypreviouslysometimesometimestherebeforewhilewhilerewhilomyestertideyestertimeyet

Antonyms for whilom

Related Words

erstwhilomeumwhilesometimeerewhilewhile-ereerewhilesquondamlyaforetimestherewhilewhenasotherwhileswansttherewhilsterstwhileoncewhithertosometimesoftwhileswhensomever

Word Forms

Usage Notes

Choose a synonym only when it preserves the intended meaning, tone, and grammar of the full sentence.

Practice and Learn More

Add this word and synonyms to Word SearchSynonyms and antonymsBetter words by context

Frequently Asked Questions

What does whilom mean?

Whilom means (archaic except literary) At some time in the past; formerly, once upon a time..

What is a synonym for whilom?

Common synonyms include afore, aforehand, already, antecedently.

What is the opposite of whilom?

The opposite depends on the specific sense.

How do you use whilom in a sentence?

Lo I the man, vvhoſe Muſe vvhilome did maske, / As time her taught, in lowly Sheapards vveeds, / Am novv enforſt a far unfitter taske, […]

Sources & Attribution

FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0

Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.