former

1 of 2

adjective

for·​mer ˈfȯr-mər How to pronounce former (audio)
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 How to pronounce former (audio)
1
: one that forms
2
chiefly British : a member of a school form
usually used in combination
sixth former
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
The results of the 15-state Super Tuesday GOP Primaries should put former President Donald Trump even closer to the Republican nomination, and President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address Thursday will give him a chance to make his case to a divided nation. Aj Willingham, CNN, 4 Mar. 2024 Teamsters and the operating engineers unions are puzzled why the Indianapolis Airport Authority, which includes the AFL-CIO director, former union president of the WBNA and pro-union Mayor Joe Hogsett's appointees, has refused to give bargaining rights for airport workers. Binghui Huang, The Indianapolis Star, 4 Mar. 2024 The last time the Supreme Court was thrust into a presidential election was in 2000 — Bush v. Gore — when the justices effectively ruled former President George W. Bush won and stopped a Florida recount. Gillian Brassil, Sacramento Bee, 4 Mar. 2024 Also left out are Vena’s outbursts in court, which a judge and his own former attorney warned would hurt his efforts to be reunified with the child. Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2024 Hager asked Kotb, 50, while donning the retro hairstyle, referring to former First Lady Laura Bush. Esme Mazzeo, Peoplemag, 4 Mar. 2024 John Arnold, former board executive director and interim chief financial officer of UA, is taking a leave of absence to focus on his CFO duties. The Arizona Republic, 4 Mar. 2024 Electric Hydrogen, a startup launched in 2021 by two former solar executives, aims to make green hydrogen affordable by building large-scale fuel refineries near plants that use it. Danielle Chemtob, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024 But Biden is brushing up against opposition from former President Donald Trump, the Republican front-runner who ascended to the White House in 2016 on the promise of reviving U.S. manufacturing. Jamie Stengle, Fortune, 21 Feb. 2024
Noun
Oakland, another former hotbed for new hotel development, saw just two hotel openings in 2023. George Avalos, The Mercury News, 17 Jan. 2024 The tricky part was figuring out the right concentrations: Too much alcohol dilutes the film formers, too little produces a longer dry time and a more obvious film. Maura Lynch, Allure, 21 Sep. 2023 Most mascaras are emulsions — a base of water and oil, plus pigments to darken, and a blend of starches, fibers, waxes, and film formers to add length and volume. Maura Lynch, Allure, 21 Sep. 2023 The organic, colorful former creates a symbiotic relationship with the rugged, geometric latter to generate contemplative reflection. Elle Decor Editors, ELLE Decor, 11 May 2023 Best Eye Treatment Mary Kay Instant Puffiness Reducer $35 at Mary Kay Credit: marykay.com Watch in wonder as a trio of sodium silicate, clays, and film formers sends bags packing instantly. Women's Health, 9 May 2023 How did these questions not just arise, but seize the cultural heights, become the day-to-day obsession of all opinion-formers and tastemakers? Michael Brendan Dougherty, National Review, 29 Mar. 2023 The runs on Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank over the past week⁠—the former’s collapse in part caused by interest rate hikes squeezing its Treasury and mortagage bond investments—may even call for a pause in the Fed’s rate-tightening schedule. Nate Dicamillo, Quartz, 14 Mar. 2023 Now in a recent conversation with Michael Brendan Dougherty Friedersdorf describes the former's baseball newsletter, The Slurve. Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 7 Apr. 2013

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'former.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of former was in the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near former

Cite this Entry

“Former.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/former. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on former

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