former

1 of 2

adjective

for·​mer ˈfȯr-mər 

1

a

: coming before in time

She now appears like her former self.

b

: of, relating to, or occurring in the past

former correspondence

restoring the theater to its former glory

2

: preceding in place or arrangement : foregoing

the former part of the chapter

3

: first in order of two or more things cited or understood

of the two given, the former spelling is more common

of the two spellings, the former is more common

4

: having been previously : onetime

a former athlete

her former husband

former

2 of 2

noun

form·​er ˈfȯr-mər 

1

: one that forms

2

chiefly British : a member of a school form

—usually used in combination

sixth former

Synonyms

Adjective

• erstwhile
• late
• old
• once
• onetime
• other
• past
• quondam
• sometime
• whilom

Choose the Right Synonym for former

preceding, antecedent, foregoing, previous, prior, former, anterior mean being before.

preceding usually implies being immediately before in time or in place.

the preceding sentence

antecedent applies to order in time and may suggest a causal relation.

conditions antecedent to the revolution

foregoing applies chiefly to statements.

the foregoing remarks

previous and prior imply existing or occurring earlier, but prior often adds an implication of greater importance.

a child from a previous marriage

a prior obligation

former implies always a definite comparison or contrast with something that is latter.

the former name of the company

anterior applies to position before or ahead of usually in space, sometimes in time or order.

the anterior lobe of the brain

Examples of former in a Sentence

Adjective

the coach is a former professional baseball player

the former manual had some errors, but the current version has its own problems

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Lake, a former TV broadcaster who narrowly lost the 2022 gubernatorial race, has been a prominent surrogate for Trump’s presidential campaign, appearing in Iowa and New Hampshire, and has been mentioned as a possible vice-presidential pick. —Ronald J. Hansen, The Arizona Republic, 17 Dec. 2024

Trump said he's taken more than 100 congratulatory calls from his former and future counterparts since the November election. —Francesca Chambers, USA TODAY, 17 Dec. 2024

Noun

Industry opinion formers like Goldman Sachs and Sequoia Capital have warned that widespread AI introduction is a lot further off than was anticipated, a viewpoint which has been leaped upon eagerly by C-suite executives out of their comfort zone. —Hugo Farinha, Forbes, 10 Dec. 2024

These shampoos typically contain what King refers to as film formers, which are ingredients like acrylate copolymer. —Sarah Madaus, Allure, 16 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, from forme first, from Old English forma — more at foremost

First Known Use

Adjective

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing former

• ghost/shadow of one's former self
• the former

Kids Definition

former

adjective

for·​mer

ˈfȯr-mər

1

: coming before in time

2

: first mentioned or first of two things mentioned or understood

of the two choices the former is better

3

: having once been

a former big-league ballplayer