whilom

adj.
Having once been; former: the whilom editor in chief.

adv. Archaic
At a past time; formerly.

[Middle English, at times, from Old English hwīlum, dative pl. of hwīl, time, while.]

(HWI-luhm)

adjective
Former.

adverb
Formerly.

Etymology
From Middle English, from Old English hwilum (at times), plural of hwil (time)

Here is another unusual word that is a synonym of this word: quondam.

Usage
"With obvious agreement, he quotes the whilom CEO of RJR Nabisco, Ross Johnson, whose three rules of Wall Street are, 'Never play by the rules, never pay in cash, and never tell the truth.'" — Jonathan Yardley; The Root Of All Evil; The Washington Post; Oct 6, 1991.

"The moonflower tree lofted luminous ghostly vespertine blooms, evening-glories of such prodigious perfume -- as to totally eclipse memory of the whilom little-leaved corporate ficus." — Patti Hagan; Moonstruck: A Gardener's Lunar Awakening; The Wall Street Journal (New York); Aug 23, 1994. (vespertine: occurring in the evening.)

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adjective

Having been such previously: erstwhile, former, late, old, once, onetime, past, previous, quondam, sometime. See precede/follow.

[fr. OE. hwílum, later]  /HWI lum/
archaic  [adv] while; formerly  [adj] former  (see also erstwhile and quondam)