Quondam

Used to describe someone or something that was formerly, or in the past, of a particular character or role. It suggests a state of change, a past identity that is no longer fully present. The word often implies a degree of nostalgia, or a sense of recognition for something known in the past. It is an adjective, typically placed before the noun it modifies, and conveys a sense of having been associated with something, but no longer currently.

Quondam meaning with examples

• The old, stately manor, once a vibrant hub of social gatherings, was now a shadow of its former self, bearing the scars of time and neglect, and its quondam grandeur was lost to disrepair. The residents often reminisced about its past, creating an almost mythical image of its past glory.
• After his retirement, the professor found himself missing the academic environment, the intellectual stimulation, and his quondam role as a leading scholar. He took up writing as a past time to cope with his lost glory.
• The building, once a bustling marketplace, was now used as a museum. The faded sign, bearing traces of its quondam business, held onto memories of the trading and lively chatter.
• Her antique locket, bearing the inscription 'to my quondam love,' whispered of a past relationship, a bond now severed, but still remembered and held with importance.