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

Van Hollen, who has held his Senate seat since 2017, formerly represented Maryland in the House between 2003 and 2017. — Aliss Higham, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Nov. 2026

In July, several buildings in Manhattan were evacuated after support columns buckled inside a skyscraper that was formerly the headquarters of Pfizer. — Anthony Izaguirre, Los Angeles Times, 12 Nov. 2026

That space is a relocation of a store that had formerly been in Phipps Plaza. — Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 12 Nov. 2026

Around the same time, direct-to-consumer telehealth platforms like Hims, Ro (formerly Roman), and BlueChew launched, offering these drugs at an even lower cost — and all without a trip to the doctor. — Allie Volpe, Vox, 12 Nov. 2026