formerly

adverb

for·​mer·​ly ˈfȯr-mər-lē How to pronounce formerly (audio)
ˈfȯr-mə-
Synonyms of formerlynext
1
: at an earlier time : previously
Istanbul was formerly known as Constantinople.
2
obsolete : just before

Synonyms of formerly

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Examples of formerly in a Sentence

He was formerly a congressman. the newspaper formerly known as “The Newsprint”
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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Nine of the stores were opened in the traditional way, as Rye 51, but the Phoenix store was formerly The Clotherie, which was actually a customer of Ratan’s. — Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 30 Oct. 2026 Nguyen's son, Daniel Jones, who a prosecutor said is formerly known as Asia Nguyen-Duy, was ordered to be held in jail on $3 million bail following his initial court appearance on Thursday afternoon. — ABC News, 29 Oct. 2026 The Comets, who were formerly the Connecticut Sun, have a 33% chance of getting the top choice. — Doug Feinberg, Chicago Tribune, 29 Oct. 2026 Vanita Gupta, formerly Biden's associate attorney general and now director of the Center for Law and Public Trust at New York University's law school, is among those optimistic voices. — Eric McDaniel, NPR, 28 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for formerly

Word History

First Known Use

1534, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of formerly was in 1534

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formeret
formerly
form factor
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Cite this Entry

“Formerly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/formerly. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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Kids Definition

formerly

adverb
for·​mer·​ly ˈfȯr-mər-lē How to pronounce formerly (audio)
: at an earlier time : previously
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