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

Synonyms of formerly

• once

Examples of formerly in a Sentence

He was formerly a congressman.

the newspaper formerly known as “The Newsprint”

Recent Examples on the Web

Chef Theo Clench, formerly of Cycene, has taken over the former HUMO site and pushed its open-fire premise somewhere more intricate, ambitious and significantly more seafood-focused. — Lela London, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2026

Irregular, formerly Pattern Labs, was founded in 2023 by CEO Dan Lahav, who previously worked in AI research at IBM, and technology chief Omer Nevo, who spent over two years at Google. — Jonathan Vanian, CNBC, 9 Aug. 2026

To date, Carlos Cordeiro, formerly Infantino’s senior advisor, is the only high-profile official to have quit. — Aleks Klosok, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026

Both men were formerly enslaved and had completed a course of theological training based on the Anglican tradition in Bombay (Mumbai) in preparation for the priesthood. — Stephanie Triplettall, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1534, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

formerly

adverb

for·​mer·​ly ˈfȯr-mər-lē 

: at an earlier time : previously