formerly

[fawr-mer-lee] / ˈfɔr mər li /

ADVERB

previously in time or order

Synonyms

STRONGEST

already earlier heretofore once

STRONG

erstwhile

WEAK

a while back aforetime anciently at one time away back back back when before before now before this down memory lane eons ago erewhile in former times in the olden days in the past lately long ago of old of yore olden days once upon a time radically some time ago time was used to be water under the bridge

Antonyms

WEAK

currently future presently subsequently

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.

JC: Think about it: The world of sports has entered a bizarre new dimension, one in which formerly sad-sack teams are now the ones downing champagne and getting showered in confetti.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 11, 2026

Hasley was formerly married to actor Robin Riker, best known for her roles on “Brothers” and “The Bold and the Beautiful.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 10, 2026

The King's Trust - formerly known as the Prince's Trust - is supporting a number of people aged 11 to 30 in Birmingham to build confidence, get a job or launch a business.

From BBC • Jun. 7, 2026

Now, with the Anthropic and Google agreements, SpaceX’s AI business, formerly xAI, has secured $26 billion in annual revenue in a matter of weeks, to help mitigate those losses.

From Barron's • Jun. 5, 2026

She holds up a stapled set of papers that look like a formerly classified, now somewhat declassified CIA document.

From "Saints and Misfits" by S.K. Ali

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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