formerly
adverb
for·mer·ly
ˈfȯr-mər-lē 
ˈfȯr-mə-
1
: at an earlier time : previously
Istanbul was formerly known as Constantinople.
2
obsolete
: just before
Examples of formerly in a Sentence
He was formerly a congressman.
the newspaper formerly known as “The Newsprint”
Recent Examples on the Web
Administrator Crystal Ruth switches on dozens of heat lamps that radiate a yellow hue to warm at least 80 disabled, abandoned or formerly abused animals that call the rescue home.
—
Julian Camejo, Miami Herald, 4 Apr. 2026
One of those formerly secret locations, Natanz, housed centrifuges for enriching uranium, which could be used in civilian nuclear reactors or enriched further for weapons.
—Jeffrey Fields, The Conversation, 4 Apr. 2026
Ye's upcoming performance sparks backlash Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, is slated as the headliner for the Wireless Festival at Finsbury Park in London.
—Taylor Ardrey, USA Today, 3 Apr. 2026
March’s job gains were led by health care and social assistance, adding about 89,900 jobs (31,000 of which were formerly striking Kaiser Permanente employees who returned to their positions).
—Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 3 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for formerly
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Julian Camejo, Miami Herald, 4 Apr. 2026
One of those formerly secret locations, Natanz, housed centrifuges for enriching uranium, which could be used in civilian nuclear reactors or enriched further for weapons.
—Jeffrey Fields, The Conversation, 4 Apr. 2026
Ye's upcoming performance sparks backlash Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, is slated as the headliner for the Wireless Festival at Finsbury Park in London.
—Taylor Ardrey, USA Today, 3 Apr. 2026
March’s job gains were led by health care and social assistance, adding about 89,900 jobs (31,000 of which were formerly striking Kaiser Permanente employees who returned to their positions).
—Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 3 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for formerly
Cite this Entry
“Formerly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/formerly. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
formerly
adverb
for·mer·ly
ˈfȯr-mər-lē
: at an earlier time : previously
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