formerly
Americanadverb
-
in time past; in an earlier period or age; previously.
a custom formerly observed.
-
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.
Both Morton, an economics professor at the Yale School of Management, and Kimmelman formerly served in the U.S.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 20, 2026
Headquarters, formerly known as Kamala HQ on X, posted a side-by-side composite of Ossoff and El-Sayed last month with the caption: “There are 69 days until midterm election day.”
From Salon ● Sep. 20, 2026
But in the meantime, the plant formerly known as Ilva has been ordered to shut off its blast furnaces by October 28 due to the presence of asbestos and illegal levels of fine airborne particles.
From Barron's ● Sep. 17, 2026
The opposition gained steam following the bankruptcies in 2024 and 2025 of formerly private equity-backed hospital operators, which led to the closing of numerous healthcare facilities.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026
They walk a short way down an adjoining passageway, layers of mud sticking to Bailey’s formerly shiny shoes.
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
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.
