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Added 30 September 2026

former

/ˈfɔɹmɚ/ adjective

Categories: Describing WordsEveryday Words

In Latin: anterior, quondam Wiktionary

adjective Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about former at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

  1. Previous.
    A former president

noun

  1. The first of aforementioned two items.
    The former is a good idea but the latter is not.

noun

  1. Someone who forms something; a maker; a creator or founder.
    Dave was the former of the company.
  2. An object used to form something, such as a template, gauge, or cutting die.
    The brick arch was built using a wooden former.
  3. Someone in, or of, a certain form (class).
    Fifth-former.

Origin

Inherited from Middle English former, comparative of forme (“first”), from Old English forma (“first”), descended from Proto-Germanic *frumô. Parallel to prior (via Latin), as comparative form from same Proto-Indo-European root. Related to first and fore (thence before), from Proto-Germanic.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

Related Words: quondamerstwhilepastpreviousearlysometimeonetimeotheroncelateformerlypreviously

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