former
1 Americanadjective
-
preceding in time; prior or earlier.
The first contestants were eliminated during a former stage in the proceedings.
-
past, long past, or ancient.
In former times, willow was consumed for pain.
-
preceding in order; being the first of two.
Our former manufacturing process was too costly.
- Synonyms:
- antecedent, foregoing
-
being the first mentioned of two (latter ).
The former suggestion was preferred to the latter one.
-
having once, or previously, been; erstwhile.
Every former president receives a lifelong security detail.
noun
adjective
-
belonging to or occurring in an earlier time
former glory
-
having been at a previous time
a former colleague
-
denoting the first or first mentioned of two
in the former case
-
near the beginning
noun
noun
-
a person or thing that forms or shapes
-
electrical engineering a tool for giving a coil or winding the required shape, sometimes consisting of a frame on which the wire can be wound, the frame then being removed
Usage
What’s the difference between former and latter? Using the terms former and latter is a somewhat formal way to differentiate between items mentioned in a set or list without actually naming them. Former is used to indicate the first item mentioned, while latter is used to indicate the second item.Both words can be used as an adjective or a noun. In either case, they are both usually preceded by the.Here’s an example of an adjective use: When offered a choice between shorter hours and higher pay, most survey respondents chose the former option. In this example, the former option refers to shorter hours, because that’s the item that was mentioned first.Here’s an example of a noun use: I enjoy both vanilla and chocolate ice cream, but I prefer the latter. In this example, the latter refers to chocolate ice cream, because that’s the one that was mentioned second.Remember, using former and latter can sound a bit formal (and might even be confusing to people who aren’t familiar with the terms). A less formal (and potentially clearer) way to rephrase the former of the two examples would be to say When offered a choice between shorter hours and higher pay, most survey respondents chose shorter hours. To remember the difference, remember that latter sounds like (and is related to) the word later—so the latter item is the one that was mentioned later.Former and latter are sometimes both used in the same sequence.Here’s an example of former and latter used correctly in the same sentence.Example: The report presented two alternative plans: the former would be easier to implement; the latter would be less expensive.Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between former and latter.
Etymology
Origin of former1
First recorded in 1125–75; Middle English, equivalent to forme ( Old English forma “first”) + -er -er 4; foremost
Origin of former2
First recorded in 1300–50, former is from the Middle English word fourmer. See form, -er 1
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.
Not bad for something he quickly bashed out in bulletin format without much forethought, in response to a post a former colleague had written.
From MarketWatch
He also served on the Bakersfield City Council and had spent four years working for former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
From Los Angeles Times
The Argentina defender posted about "the many obstacles that always existed and always will exist" when paying tribute to sacked former manager Ange Postecoglou on his Instagram page in June.
From BBC
Ingle's relatives, boxers and former trainers from the Ingle Gym are expected to be in the audience at a special screening at The Light cinema in Sheffield on Thursday.
From BBC
Leeds United said they were "devastated" to hear of Yorath's passing, adding: "Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with Terry's family, friends and former team-mates at this incredibly sad time."
From BBC
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.
