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

The Testaments, based on Margaret Atwood’s 2019 novel of the same name, picks up 15 years after the events of The Handmaid’s Tale, as Agnes MacKenzie (formerly known as Hannah Bankole), starts to discover her true identity in Gilead society. —Jason Pham, StyleCaster, 8 Apr. 2026

In another nod to streaming, the Actor Awards (formerly known as the Screen Actors Guild Awards) also set the dates for their next two shows, which like this year’s ceremony will stream live on Netflix. —Malia Mendez, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2026

London’s Wireless Festival has been canceled after the British government denied entry to Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West, following mounting pressure from Jewish groups over his history of antisemitic remarks. —Grace Gilson, Sun Sentinel, 7 Apr. 2026

These brands have pulled sponsorship of Wireless Festival, which disgraced itself recently by scheduling Ye (formerly Kanye West) to headline. —Chris Willman, Variety, 7 Apr. 2026