former

1 of 2

adjective

for·​mer ˈfȯr-mər 

1

a

: coming before in time

She now appears like her former self.

b

: of, relating to, or occurring in the past

former correspondence

restoring the theater to its former glory

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

her former husband

former

2 of 2

noun

form·​er ˈfȯr-mər 

1

: one that forms

2

chiefly British : a member of a school form

—usually used in combination

sixth former

Synonyms

Adjective

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

Choose the Right Synonym for former

preceding, antecedent, foregoing, previous, prior, former, anterior mean being before.

preceding usually implies being immediately before in time or in place.

the preceding sentence

antecedent applies to order in time and may suggest a causal relation.

conditions antecedent to the revolution

foregoing applies chiefly to statements.

the foregoing remarks

previous and prior imply existing or occurring earlier, but prior often adds an implication of greater importance.

a child from a previous marriage

a prior obligation

former implies always a definite comparison or contrast with something that is latter.

the former name of the company

anterior applies to position before or ahead of usually in space, sometimes in time or order.

the anterior lobe of the brain

Examples of former in a Sentence

Adjective

the coach is a former professional baseball player

the former manual had some errors, but the current version has its own problems

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Cohen, Trump's former lawyer, could provide key testimony about checks that prosecutors say were falsified in order to cover up unlawful interference in the 2016 presidential election. —Aysha Bagchi, USA TODAY, 4 May 2024

The nonprofit said its approach to transforming the lives of former gang members has become a blueprint for many other organizations across the U.S. and several countries, including Honduras, Australia and Zimbawe. —Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 3 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

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

First Known Use

Adjective

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing former

• ghost/shadow of one's former self
• the former

Kids Definition

former

adjective

for·​mer

ˈfȯr-mər

1

: coming before in time

2

: first mentioned or first of two things mentioned or understood

of the two choices the former is better

3

: having once been

a former big-league ballplayer