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

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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

See Examples For:

former

Loretta Mester, former regional head of the Cleveland Fed, told AFP that the timing of the meeting just days ahead of the election would not be a factor for policymakers.

From Barron's ● Oct. 25, 2026

The Sun reported Meghan's half-brother Thomas Markle Jnr claimed he found a stash of images belonging to his father at his former Philippines home.

From BBC ● Oct. 25, 2026

Although Carrick was appointed ahead of his former boss and team-mate Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as Ruben Amorim's replacement in January, the pair remain close.

From BBC ● Oct. 24, 2026

Joel Riddle, Polar’s CEO until September and a former ExxonMobil employee, says he resigned after the discovery, which he said emerged in budget discussions over the summer.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 24, 2026

As Chase was drying his hair in the Shack’s kitchen, he realized that they didn’t have a single photograph hanging up, from either their former or current life.

From "Storm Runners" by Roland Smith

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Related Words

• departed
• erstwhile
• old

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