formerly
adverb
for·mer·ly
ˈfȯr-mər-lē 
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
Few details were released about the shooting, which happened at the Parkway Plaza mall on Fletcher Parkway about 4:35 p.m., El Cajon police said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
—
Natallie Rocha, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Sep. 2023
Nonetheless, Barradas-Medel’s emphatic yes speaks for a large majority of immigrants surveyed earlier this year in a groundbreaking nationwide poll conducted by The Times in partnership with the nonprofit KFF, formerly known as the Kaiser Family Foundation.
—Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2023
The decision was made at a conference held in Riyadh, UNESCO said on its official X account, formerly known as Twitter.
—Kareem Khadder, CNN, 17 Sep. 2023
Cooper is effusive when asked about Thompson, who formerly served as CEO of The New York Times Company and, before that, as director general of the BBC.
—Pamela McClintock, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Sep. 2023
The show announced the location via X, formerly known as Twitter, on Saturday.
—Andrew Gillis, cleveland, 16 Sep. 2023
In April 2016, the actor shared this detail with his fans on the social media site X, formerly known as Twitter.
—Francesca Gariano, Peoplemag, 16 Sep. 2023
The Presbyterian Church in the United States (formerly The Presbyterian Church in the Confederate States of America) already had five congregations in the greater Little Rock area.
—Frank E. Lockwood, Arkansas Online, 16 Sep. 2023
Erin Clark/Globe Staff People walk as the wind and rain from what was formerly Hurricane Lee and is now a post-tropical cyclone affect the area on Saturday in Eastport, Maine.
—Shanna Kelly, BostonGlobe.com, 16 Sep. 2023
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Natallie Rocha, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Sep. 2023
Nonetheless, Barradas-Medel’s emphatic yes speaks for a large majority of immigrants surveyed earlier this year in a groundbreaking nationwide poll conducted by The Times in partnership with the nonprofit KFF, formerly known as the Kaiser Family Foundation.
—Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2023
The decision was made at a conference held in Riyadh, UNESCO said on its official X account, formerly known as Twitter.
—Kareem Khadder, CNN, 17 Sep. 2023
Cooper is effusive when asked about Thompson, who formerly served as CEO of The New York Times Company and, before that, as director general of the BBC.
—Pamela McClintock, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Sep. 2023
The show announced the location via X, formerly known as Twitter, on Saturday.
—Andrew Gillis, cleveland, 16 Sep. 2023
In April 2016, the actor shared this detail with his fans on the social media site X, formerly known as Twitter.
—Francesca Gariano, Peoplemag, 16 Sep. 2023
The Presbyterian Church in the United States (formerly The Presbyterian Church in the Confederate States of America) already had five congregations in the greater Little Rock area.
—Frank E. Lockwood, Arkansas Online, 16 Sep. 2023
Erin Clark/Globe Staff People walk as the wind and rain from what was formerly Hurricane Lee and is now a post-tropical cyclone affect the area on Saturday in Eastport, Maine.
—Shanna Kelly, BostonGlobe.com, 16 Sep. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'formerly.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1534, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Articles Related to formerly
Dictionary Entries Near formerly
Cite this Entry
“Formerly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/formerly. Accessed 25 Sep. 2023.
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Kids Definition
formerly
adverb
for·mer·ly
ˈfȯr-mər-lē
: at an earlier time : previously
More from Merriam-Webster on formerly
Nglish: Translation of formerly for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of formerly for Arabic Speakers
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