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

Synonyms of formerly

• once

Examples of formerly in a Sentence

He was formerly a congressman.

the newspaper formerly known as “The Newsprint”

Recent Examples on the Web

Absentee investors act as hosts or hire property managers to handle bookings, packing as many as 14 people into formerly 2-bedroom units subdivided with unpermitted walls. — Linda Robertson updated October 22, Miami Herald, 22 Oct. 2026

Zuckerberg said that Threads, the newest addition to the Family of Apps, has now overtaken X (formerly Twitter) in monthly active users, while WhatsApp is seeing all-time highs for messages sent. — Zev Fima, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2026

Situated in Trentino-Alto Adige, formerly a part of Austria that became part of Italy just over a century ago, the region feels authentically Italian with a sprinkle of Germanic influence—but above all, utterly Alpine. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Oct. 2026

One observer suggested that cost of protesting might be prohibitive to some, with single-day general admission to the event for Saturday and Sunday formerly priced at €47 ($53). — News Desk, Artforum, 22 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1534, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

formerly

adverb

for·​mer·​ly ˈfȯr-mər-lē 

: at an earlier time : previously