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
Taylor, formerly in law enforcement and now a real estate agent, planned to spend more than 12 hours a day at the stock show Thursday through Saturday.
—
Judith Kohler, Denver Post, 24 Jan. 2026
But as the Power Station were about to launch their tour later that year, Palmer surprisingly pulled out and was replaced by actor-singer Michael Des Barres, formerly of the band Detective.
—David Chiu, Forbes.com, 24 Jan. 2026
One that has prompted Rady Children’s Health in Orange County, formerly Children’s Hospital of Orange County, to stop gender-affirming care.
—Mona Darwish, Oc Register, 24 Jan. 2026
In the 1990s, Dave and Nadine Lipson purchased the 37,000-acre property and renamed it Paws Up (formerly The Resort at Paws Up) after their dogs’ exuberant greeting.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for formerly
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Judith Kohler, Denver Post, 24 Jan. 2026
But as the Power Station were about to launch their tour later that year, Palmer surprisingly pulled out and was replaced by actor-singer Michael Des Barres, formerly of the band Detective.
—David Chiu, Forbes.com, 24 Jan. 2026
One that has prompted Rady Children’s Health in Orange County, formerly Children’s Hospital of Orange County, to stop gender-affirming care.
—Mona Darwish, Oc Register, 24 Jan. 2026
In the 1990s, Dave and Nadine Lipson purchased the 37,000-acre property and renamed it Paws Up (formerly The Resort at Paws Up) after their dogs’ exuberant greeting.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Jan. 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 28 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
formerly
adverb
for·mer·ly
ˈfȯr-mər-lē
: at an earlier time : previously
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