ex flatmate

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "ex flatmate" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to refer to someone who used to be your flatmate or roommate but is no longer living with you. Example: "I ran into my ex flatmate at the grocery store, and we caught up on old times."

✓ Grammatically correct

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

60 human-written examples

These include: your best friend's ex, your flatmate, your flatmate's ex, your personal tutor, your tutor's spouse, the university chaplain.

The Guardian

The best line belongs to humourless Dutch ex-flatmate Sabine, who says: "I've come as Hannah Montana... obviously".

Independent

Jonathan Firth (he played Fred Vincy) and his ex-flatmate Rufus Sewell (Will Ladislaw) have both been typecast lately as Byronic poet-dreamers.

The New Yorker

He opened it a couple of years ago with a school friend and ex-flatmate, Kevin Latouf, whose family are in the restaurant business.

The Guardian - Sport

Godfrey Bloom, the controversial former MEP and Farage's ex-flatmate, on Friday describing the Ukip leader as unelectable and comparing his handling of criticism to the murderous Russian dictator Joseph Stalin.

The Guardian

Are we to take it, then, that as Lord Chancellor, Falconer argued tenaciously behind the scenes against attempts by his ex-flatmate Tony Blair to bang folk up without charge for 90 days, and we simply never got to hear about it?

The Guardian - Opinion

There are hundreds of people: ex-flatmates, friends on the board of the Jackson's Lane Community Centre, comrades at Tony Benn's soirees, who don't just remember him intimately, but have funny stories.

The Guardian - Books

My ex-flatmate 'Dirty Socks Johnnyy.

BBC

Former Deputy PM Lord Prescott also defended his colleague, an ex-flatmate.

BBC

Half of his friends are - his one-time flatmate Jimi Hendrix, his ex-wife Krissy, the Who's Keith Moon, his old drinking partner Peter Cook.

The Guardian - Music

Five days after declining the offer of having her ex arrested, Miss Ruggles' was found dead by her flatmate.

BBC

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "ex flatmate" when you need to specify that someone was a flatmate in the past, and the relationship has ended. For example, "I ran into my "ex flatmate" from university at the store."

Common error

Avoid using "ex flatmate" when referring to your current flatmate. This phrase implies that they no longer live with you.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "ex flatmate" functions as a noun phrase, where "ex" modifies "flatmate" to specify a previous relationship. It is used to identify someone who was a flatmate in the past. As Ludwig AI confirms, this phrase is correct and usable in English.

Expression frequency: Missing

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Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The term "ex flatmate" is a grammatically sound and easily understandable way to describe someone who formerly shared your living space. Although Ludwig AI confirms its correctness, there are no exact examples to show the contexts in which it is used, which suggests that the phrase is rarely used and there may be alternatives such as "former flatmate" that are more common. When using this phrase, ensure that the context clearly indicates a past living arrangement to avoid any misunderstandings.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

former flatmate

Replaces "ex" with "former", indicating a past relationship of sharing a flat.

previous flatmate

Uses "previous" instead of "ex", denoting a flatmate from an earlier time.

past flatmate

Employs "past" as a substitute for "ex", signifying a flatmate from the past.

one-time flatmate

Indicates a flatmate from a specific period in the past.

ex-roommate

Substitutes "flatmate" with "roommate", a more common term in some regions, while retaining "ex".

former housemate

Uses "housemate" instead of "flatmate", while retaining "former".

previous roommate

Combines "previous" with "roommate" for a slightly different phrasing.

past housemate

Combines "past" with "housemate" for a slightly different phrasing.

flatmate from the past

Expands the phrase to explicitly state "from the past".

flatmate I used to live with

Provides a more descriptive alternative, clarifying the past living arrangement.

FAQs

How can I use "ex flatmate" in a sentence?

You can use "ex flatmate" to refer to someone who used to be your flatmate. For example: "I borrowed a book from my "ex flatmate", but I can't find it now."

What is a synonym for "ex flatmate"?

A synonym for "ex flatmate" is "former flatmate".

Is it correct to say "ex-flatmate"?

Yes, "ex-flatmate" with a hyphen is also grammatically correct. It functions the same as "ex flatmate".

What's the difference between "ex flatmate" and "flatmate"?

"Flatmate" refers to a person you currently share a flat with, while "ex flatmate" refers to someone you used to share a flat with but no longer do.