formerly

adverb

for·​mer·​ly ˈfȯr-mər-lē How to pronounce formerly (audio)
ˈfȯr-mə-
1
: at an earlier time : previously
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In April 2020, Bryce announced the birth of her niece Elodie Vivian — Ron and Cheryl's sixth grandchild — on X (formerly Twitter). Kaitlin Stevens, PEOPLE, 6 Oct. 2025 The round was led by economic development agency Invest Nova Scotia, with participation from an angel investor group headed by Mahir Sahin, a former advisor to Alphabet’s Moonshot Factory X (formerly Google X) and founder of Cloudberry Ventures. Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 6 Oct. 2025 The grounds were formerly part of the Old Idaho Penitentiary property in Boise, transformed into a sprawling garden, according to the nonprofit. Idaho Statesman, 6 Oct. 2025 Brooklinen is another formerly D2C bedding purveyor that has started selling goods here and there through Amazon. Blake Bakkila, Architectural Digest, 6 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for formerly

Word History

First Known Use

1534, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of formerly was in 1534

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Cite this Entry

“Formerly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/formerly. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

formerly

adverb
for·​mer·​ly ˈfȯr-mər-lē How to pronounce formerly (audio)
: at an earlier time : previously

More from Merriam-Webster on formerly

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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