Definitions for formerly
ˈfɔr mər lifor·mer·ly

Princeton's WordNet(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. once, formerly, at one time, erstwhile, erstadverb

   at a previous time

   "at one time he loved her"; "her erstwhile writing"; "she was a dancer once";

Wiktionary(3.00 / 2 votes)Rate this definition:

1. formerlyadverb

   at some time in the past

2. formerlyadverb

   previously; once

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Formerlyadverb

   In times past.

   Etymology: from former.

   The places mentioned were all of them formerly the cool retirements of the Romans, where they used to hide themselves among the woods and mountains, during the excessive heats of their Summer. Joseph Addison, on Italy.

   As an animal degenerates by diseases, the animal salts, formerly benign, approach towards an alkaline nature. Arbuthnot.

Webster Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Formerlyadverb

   in time past, either in time immediately preceding or at any indefinite distance; of old; heretofore

British National Corpus

1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'formerly' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #4390

2. Adverbs Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'formerly' in Adverbs Frequency: #292

How to pronounce formerly?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say formerly in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of formerly in Chaldean Numerology is: 5

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of formerly in Pythagorean Numerology is: 4

Examples of formerly in a Sentence

1. Mark Sableman:

   I think defendants in modern defamation cases are likely to point to the vitriolic no-holes-barred nature of modern social media, cable TV, and political discourse, in contending that many words and accusations formerly considered defamatory are now understood only as mere opinions, not factual assertions.

2. Mary Wilson Little:

   The penalty of success is to be bored by the attentions of people who formerly snubbed you.

3. Pavel Laberko:

   Companies that produce meat, fruit and other food have a unique opportunity to grow their operations as imports are restricted by Russia's so-called anti-sanctions, similarly, local producers of oil field equipment have a chance to try to develop their analogues of formerly imported products, now that the sanctions are here to stay for an extended period.

4. H Hahn Blavatsky:

   Happiness is an imaginary condition, formerly often attributed by the living to the dead, now usually attributed by adults to children, and by children to adults.

5. Kyle Kondik:

   We are seeing turnout spike in affluent, highly-educated suburban areas – precisely the kinds of places where the GOP has slipped since 2016 and where at least some formerly Republican voters appear to be more open to voting Democratic than in the past.

Popularity rank by frequency of use