former

¹ American  

[fawr-mer] / ˈfɔr mər /

adjective

1. preceding in time; prior or earlier.

   The first contestants were eliminated during a former stage in the proceedings.

2. past, long past, or ancient.

   In former times, willow was consumed for pain.

3. preceding in order; being the first of two.

   Our former manufacturing process was too costly.

   Synonyms:

   antecedent, foregoing

4. being the first mentioned of two (distinguished from latter).

   The former suggestion was preferred to the latter one.

5. having once, or previously, been; erstwhile.

   Every former president receives a lifelong security detail.

   Synonyms:

   ex-, past

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noun

1. the former, the first mentioned of two (distinguished from the latter).

   There are still economy and business class tickets available, but be sure to book the former if you're on a budget.

former ² American  

[fawr-mer] / ˈfɔr mər /

noun

1. a person or thing that forms or serves to form.

2. a pupil in a particular form or grade, especially in a British secondary school.

   fifth formers.

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former ¹ British  

/ ˈfɔːmə /

adjective

1. belonging to or occurring in an earlier time

   former glory

2. having been at a previous time

   a former colleague

3. denoting the first or first mentioned of two

   in the former case

4. near the beginning

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noun

1. the first or first mentioned of two: distinguished from latter

former ² British  

/ ˈfɔːmə /

noun

1. a person or thing that forms or shapes

2. 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

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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; cf. foremost

Origin of former²

First recorded in 1300–50, former is from the Middle English word fourmer. See form, -er ¹

Explanation

Former refers to something that came at an earlier time, or before something else. For example, someone who believes in reincarnation might wonder about their former life — or even lives — before their present existence. When something or someone has changed, we can refer to them as former. For example, Mr. Smith's ex-wife could be known as the former Mrs. Smith. We could consider almost anything as former, as long as it comes first, before something else. A good way to remember the meaning of former is to consider that it comes from the Old English forma, which means "first," and that both former and first begin with "f."

Example Sentences

When applying for a contract job at Mercor, applicants and former workers said they sat for a recorded interview with an unseen AI proctor.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 2026

The debate also takes place after former state Controller Betty Yee ended her campaign because of a lack of resources and support in the polls.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2026

Fermi rejected its former CEO’s call for a sale, citing continued momentum on Project Matador and long-term shareholder value.

From Barron's • Apr. 22, 2026

When hired, Nayeb claimed to be a former member of the Taliban who had renounced the terrorist group.

From Slate • Apr. 22, 2026

My former master was corrupted by dark forces, so I turned against him to save our realm.

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith

Related Words

• departed
• erstwhile
• old