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
Follow @SusanMariecooks on Instagram and X, formerly known as Twitter.
—
Susan Selasky, Freep.com, 10 Nov. 2025
The training program at Base Aeronaval Cristóbal Colón, formerly known as Fort Sherman, is relatively small in scope but is expected to ramp up over the next year, according to one defense official.
—Anne Flaherty, ABC News, 10 Nov. 2025
The Arlit mine, formerly run by a French group, was seized during Niger’s 2023 military coup, and French troops were forced to leave.
—Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 10 Nov. 2025
The building, located at 3215 Prospect Park Drive in Rancho Cordova, was formerly a call center and is now undergoing renovations.
—Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 10 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for formerly
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Susan Selasky, Freep.com, 10 Nov. 2025
The training program at Base Aeronaval Cristóbal Colón, formerly known as Fort Sherman, is relatively small in scope but is expected to ramp up over the next year, according to one defense official.
—Anne Flaherty, ABC News, 10 Nov. 2025
The Arlit mine, formerly run by a French group, was seized during Niger’s 2023 military coup, and French troops were forced to leave.
—Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 10 Nov. 2025
The building, located at 3215 Prospect Park Drive in Rancho Cordova, was formerly a call center and is now undergoing renovations.
—Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 10 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for formerly
Cite this Entry
“Formerly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/formerly. Accessed 14 Nov. 2025.
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formerly
adverb
for·mer·ly
ˈfȯr-mər-lē
: at an earlier time : previously
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