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
Khomeini was skeptical of the loyalty of Iran’s military, being led by officers formerly loyal to the Shah.
—
Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 28 Mar. 2026
Alexander, who has been with the network for 22 years, cited personal reasons, but sources say that he is expected to join MS NOW, which formerly was NBC News’ sister network.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 28 Mar. 2026
Squirewell's studio is in one of Holland's buildings, the old Dolfinger School, formerly a Civil War hospital.
—Adam Sachs, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Mar. 2026
Humane Colorado, formerly the Dumb Friends League, provides affordable veterinary care at its CSU Spur location.
—Krista Kafer, Denver Post, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for formerly
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Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 28 Mar. 2026
Alexander, who has been with the network for 22 years, cited personal reasons, but sources say that he is expected to join MS NOW, which formerly was NBC News’ sister network.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 28 Mar. 2026
Squirewell's studio is in one of Holland's buildings, the old Dolfinger School, formerly a Civil War hospital.
—Adam Sachs, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Mar. 2026
Humane Colorado, formerly the Dumb Friends League, provides affordable veterinary care at its CSU Spur location.
—Krista Kafer, Denver Post, 27 Mar. 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 31 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
formerly
adverb
for·mer·ly
ˈfȯr-mər-lē
: at an earlier time : previously
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