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

The first pair of Emmy ceremonies, formerly called the Creative Arts Emmys, are held over two nights, two weekends before the Primetime Emmy Awards, and honor many of the behind-the-scenes workers and craftspeople in television. — Maira Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026

The Hanna-Barbera cat and mouse — formerly a throwaway bunch of cartoons, now a ‘franchise’ — are all about triflingly menial disputes taken to absurd heights, leading to surreal sight gags and baroque violence. — Caspar Salmon, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026

Kid Cudi defended his decision to perform with his longtime friend and controversial musician, Ye (formerly known as Kanye West), after some fans and critics expressed disappointment. — Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2026

As new developments spread into formerly undeveloped areas, snakes are being spotted more often. — Haley Parsley, Sacbee.com, 5 Sep. 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