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

The New York City Department of Health confirmed the first case of a severe strain of the mpox virus, formerly known as monkeypox, in New York City. —Nicholas Williams, New York Daily News, 14 Mar. 2026

But the following week, Evans returned to the red carpet to interview celebrities at The Actor Awards, formerly the Screen Actors Guild Awards, with Bravo breakout star Paige DeSorbo. —Jay Stahl, USA Today, 14 Mar. 2026

Heights University Hospital, formerly known as Christ Hospital, is set to shutter its emergency room Saturday night. —John Dias, CBS News, 14 Mar. 2026

The organization, formerly the Front Line COVID-19 Critical Care Alliance, is a small group of physicians that, like Cole, promoted ivermectin and other unproven COVID-19 treatments during the pandemic. —Angela Palermo, Idaho Statesman, 14 Mar. 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