former

¹for·mer

adjective \ˈfȯr-mər\

Definition of FORMER

1

a : coming before in time

b : of, relating to, or occurring in the past <former correspondence>

2

: preceding in place or arrangement : foregoing <the former part of the chapter>

3

: first in order of two or more things cited or understood <of the two given, the former spelling is more common> <of the two spellings, the former is more common>

4

: having been previously : onetime <a former athlete>

Examples of FORMER

1. <the coach is a former professional baseball player>
2. <the former manual had some errors, but the current version has its own problems>

Origin of FORMER

Middle English, from forme first, from Old English forma — more at foremost

First Known Use: 12th century

Related to FORMER

Synonyms

erstwhile, late, old, once, onetime, other, past, quondam, sometime, whilom

Antonyms

after, ensuing, following, later, posterior, subsequent, succeeding

Related Words

bygone, dead, defunct, departed, expired, extinct, gone, long-ago, vanished

Near Antonyms

contemporary, current, extant, ongoing, present, present-day; coming, future, prospective, unborn

See Synonym Discussion at preceding

Rhymes with FORMER

dormer, swarmer, warmer

²form·er

noun \ˈfȯr-mər\

Definition of FORMER

1

: one that forms

2

chiefly British : a member of a school form —usually used in combination <sixth former>

First Known Use of FORMER

14th century