Synonyms of formerly

formerly

adverb

ˈfȯr-mər-lē 

1

as in once

at an earlier or previous time

the newspaper formerly known as "The Newsprint"

Synonyms & Similar Words

• once
• erstwhile
• onetime

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• recently
• now
• currently
• presently
• lately

2

as in earlier

so as to precede something in order of time

if you didn't get a malaria shot formerly, you'd better get one now

Synonyms & Similar Words

• earlier
• already
• previously
• ahead
• early
• before
• preliminarily
• now
• antecedently
• anteriorly
• afore
• in advance
• shortly
• soon
• beforehand
• first
• prematurely
• presently
• first off
• before long
• a priori
• erelong

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• later
• afterward
• subsequently
• after
• behind
• next
• by and by

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of formerly

DraftKings, for example, bought the Railbird Exchange for about $48 million up front, while Robinhood and Susquehanna International Group bought what was formerly known as LedgerX at an $88 million valuation (MIAXdx retained a 10% stake in the transaction). —Dan Bernstein, Sportico.com, 16 June 2026

The one-room schoolhouse began with 40 students, the majority of whom had parents who were formerly enslaved. —Rodney Coates, The Conversation, 16 June 2026

Universal International Studios was formerly called NBCUniversal International Television Production. —Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 16 June 2026

Child star Rick Schroder — formerly known as Ricky — first made a name for himself by becoming the youngest recipient of a Golden Globe for his performance in The Champ (1979). —Maggie Fremont, Entertainment Weekly, 16 June 2026