formerly

adverb

for·​mer·​ly ˈfȯr-mər-lē How to pronounce formerly (audio)
ˈfȯr-mə-
1
: at an earlier time : previously
2
obsolete : just before

Examples of formerly in a Sentence

He was formerly a congressman. the newspaper formerly known as “The Newsprint”
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Several videos of people keying Teslas have gone viral on social media platforms Instagram and X (formerly Twitter). Charles Singh, USA Today, 24 Apr. 2025 What To Know On Tuesday, Cruise took to X, formerly Twitter, and Instagram to share a behind-the-scenes video of Mission Impossible – The Final Reckoning. Ross Rosenfeld, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Apr. 2025 The new agreement will cover about 100 dishwashers, cooks, servers, bartenders and cleaners, as well as about 100 workers formerly employed by 1Fifty1 who cleaned public areas such as bathrooms, broke down and set up event spaces and performed groundskeeper services. Suhauna Hussain, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2025 The City Campus property, which formerly housed a department store, is expected to open this year. Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 22 Apr. 2025 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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Cite this Entry

“Formerly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/formerly. Accessed 1 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

formerly

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

More from Merriam-Webster on formerly

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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