aforetime

English

Etymology

From Middle English a fore tyme, afore tyme, aforetyme, afortym, a-for-tyme, afortymez; equivalent to afore- +‎ time.

Adverb

aforetime (not comparable)

1. (archaic) In time past; in a former time; formerly.

   Synonym: aforetimes

   • 1885, Richard F. Burton, The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, Night 564:

     Then I walked about, till I found on the further side, a great river of sweet water, running with a strong current; whereupon I called to mind the boat-raft I had made aforetime and said to myself, "Needs must I make another; haply I may free me from this strait. […] "

Translations

formerly

• Bulgarian: преди (bg) (predi), някога (bg) (njakoga)
• German: früher (de)

Adjective

aforetime (not comparable)

1. (archaic) Former.
   • 1907, Barbara Baynton, edited by Sally Krimmer and Alan Lawson, Human Toll (Portable Australian Authors: Barbara Baynton), St Lucia: University of Queensland Press, published 1980, page 212:

     To him, despite the housekeeper, there was an impropriety in Ursula, the elderly ex-parson, and Andrew living under the one roof - a matter that, for all his aforetime vigilance, had escaped Mr. Civil.