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
The 18-story building where the woman was found is part of Marcus Garvey Village and includes 51 supportive housing apartments for the formerly homeless.
—
Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 21 Feb. 2026
Advertisement Lang, formerly France’s culture minister, was mentioned in the Epstein files hundreds of times.
—Chantelle Lee, Time, 21 Feb. 2026
In the past, royal experts and fans have sometimes drawn comparisons between Prince Harry and and his uncle Andrew, formerly prince now known as Mountbatten-Windsor.
—Meg Walters, InStyle, 20 Feb. 2026
The man formerly known as Prince Andrew was arrested at his home on suspicion of misconduct in public office due to his relationship with the late pedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein and his sharing of confidential material.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 20 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for formerly
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Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 21 Feb. 2026
Advertisement Lang, formerly France’s culture minister, was mentioned in the Epstein files hundreds of times.
—Chantelle Lee, Time, 21 Feb. 2026
In the past, royal experts and fans have sometimes drawn comparisons between Prince Harry and and his uncle Andrew, formerly prince now known as Mountbatten-Windsor.
—Meg Walters, InStyle, 20 Feb. 2026
The man formerly known as Prince Andrew was arrested at his home on suspicion of misconduct in public office due to his relationship with the late pedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein and his sharing of confidential material.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 20 Feb. 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 22 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
formerly
adverb
for·mer·ly
ˈfȯr-mər-lē
: at an earlier time : previously
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