formerly
Americanadverb
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in time past; in an earlier period or age; previously.
a custom formerly observed.
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Obsolete. in time just past; just now.
adverb
-
at or in a former time; in the past
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obsolete in the immediate past; just now
Etymology
Origin of formerly
Compare meaning
How does formerly compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
Use the adverb formerly to describe something that happened earlier. A history teacher might explain that the city of Istanbul was formerly known as Constantinople. Something that existed previously, or that has changed in some way over time, can be talked about using the word formerly. Your graceful math teacher might have formerly been a professional dancer, and the building where you take fencing lessons could have formerly been a textile mill. If something happened once upon a time, it happened formerly. The origin of the word traces all the way back to the Proto-Germanic formo, or "first."
Vocabulary lists containing formerly
Commonly Confused Words, List 1
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Commonly Confused Words, List 3
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Commonly Confused Words, List 7
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Formerly regarded as close to Lord Mandelson, Streeting has distanced himself from the former Labour minister since his sacking as US ambassador, saying earlier this year he would never speak to him again.
From BBC • May 13, 2026
Formerly the vice president of a company called Riverstone Networks, in 2006 he was accused by the Securities and Exchange Commission of being part of a plot to fraudulently recognize $30 million in revenue.
From Barron's • Apr. 20, 2026
Formerly an avid cyclist, Islas said the incident has irrevocably changed his life.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 19, 2026
Formerly heavily reliant on Russia, Europe has spent the past few years diversifying imports, relying more on the U.S. and the Middle East.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 7, 2026
Formerly distributed over much of southern Africa, they consisted not only of small-sized hunter-gatherers, known as San, but also of larger herders, known as Khoi.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
