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
In 2009, Mino Lora co-founded The People's Theatre, formerly known as the People's Theatre Project.
—
Noelle Lilley, CBS News, 21 Mar. 2026
Among the suitors vying for her affection were Brad Ledford, who was the driver in the car accident that paralyzed former congressman Madison Cawthorn; Another, Clayton Johnson, was formerly engaged to Lana Del Rey.
—Rebecca Jennings, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2026
Last year, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison reached a settlement with the Chapter 7 Trustee for the Bankruptcy Estate of Woodbury Dental Arts, formerly owned and operated by Marko Kamel, that will allow former patients to receive refunds.
—Kristi Miller, Twin Cities, 20 Mar. 2026
Murguia has led UnidosUS, formerly the National Council of La Raza, for 21 years and said she has been asked a lot recently about finding the next leader.
—Nicole Acevedo, NBC news, 20 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for formerly
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Noelle Lilley, CBS News, 21 Mar. 2026
Among the suitors vying for her affection were Brad Ledford, who was the driver in the car accident that paralyzed former congressman Madison Cawthorn; Another, Clayton Johnson, was formerly engaged to Lana Del Rey.
—Rebecca Jennings, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2026
Last year, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison reached a settlement with the Chapter 7 Trustee for the Bankruptcy Estate of Woodbury Dental Arts, formerly owned and operated by Marko Kamel, that will allow former patients to receive refunds.
—Kristi Miller, Twin Cities, 20 Mar. 2026
Murguia has led UnidosUS, formerly the National Council of La Raza, for 21 years and said she has been asked a lot recently about finding the next leader.
—Nicole Acevedo, NBC news, 20 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 28 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
formerly
adverb
for·mer·ly
ˈfȯr-mər-lē
: at an earlier time : previously
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