1
a
: coming before in time
She now appears like her former self.
b
: of, relating to, or occurring in the past
former correspondence
restoring the theater to its former glory
2
: preceding in place or arrangement : foregoing
the former part of the chapter
3
: first in order of two or more things cited or understood
of the two given, the former spelling is more common
of the two spellings, the former is more common
4
: having been previously : onetime
a former athlete
her former husband
1
: one that forms
2
chiefly British
: a member of a school form
—usually used in combination
sixth former
Synonyms
Examples of former in a Sentence
Adjective
the coach is a former professional baseball player
the former manual had some errors, but the current version has its own problems
Recent Examples on the Web
Joanna Allhands, The Arizona Republic, 22 Nov. 2024
So has there been any smack talk between Jackson and his former teammates this week?
—Danny Davis, Austin American-Statesman, 22 Nov. 2024
Sarah Madaus, Allure, 16 Oct. 2024
One tip when picking a curl cream is to prioritize moisturizing ingredients and look for film formers, which help bring stretched or flat curls back to life.
—Erin Parker, Allure, 16 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for former 
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Adjective
In today’s opinions newsletter: Who might run the federal government, a cushy bonus for a former University of Arizona president and the moral implications of mass deportation.
—Joanna Allhands, The Arizona Republic, 22 Nov. 2024
So has there been any smack talk between Jackson and his former teammates this week?
—Danny Davis, Austin American-Statesman, 22 Nov. 2024
Noun
These shampoos typically contain what King refers to as film formers, which are ingredients like acrylate copolymer.
—Sarah Madaus, Allure, 16 Oct. 2024
One tip when picking a curl cream is to prioritize moisturizing ingredients and look for film formers, which help bring stretched or flat curls back to life.
—Erin Parker, Allure, 16 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for former
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Dictionary Entries Near former
Cite this Entry
“Former.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/former. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
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