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 a personal trainer, bodybuilder, and weightlifter who loved hockey and running, her life completely changed.
From BBC • Apr. 9, 2026
Formerly known as CBS Studio Center, the Los Angeles lot has been home to generations of landmark television shows including “Gunsmoke” and “Seinfeld.”
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 20, 2026
Formerly Maduro's vice president, Rodriguez took over after a US bombing raid on Caracas on January 3 ended with his capture and transfer to New York to face drug-trafficking charges.
From Barron's • Jan. 12, 2026
Formerly strong U.S. allies, including the UK, Colombia and the Netherlands, have either refused or suspended intelligence sharing with the U.S. because of the illegal strikes.
From Salon • Nov. 25, 2025
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.
