formerly
Meaning
"Formerly" is an adverb used to refer to a time in the past when something was true or existed, but is no longer the case.
💡 A common mistake is to confuse "formerly" with "formally," which has a different meaning related to official or ceremonial contexts.
Example Sentences
Word in Context
I
walked
into
the
small
caf
é
on
Main
Street
where
I
used
to
study
as
a
student
.
The
caf
é,
formerly
a
quiet
bookshop
,
still
has
high
windows
and
a
few
old
shelves
that
remind
me
of
those
afternoons
with
a
notebook
.
The
owner
greeted
me
and
explained
they
had
renovated
the
back
room
to
add
a
large
community
table
.
I
sat
by
the
window
and
watched
people
read
,
work
on
laptops
,
and
chat
quietly
;
the
atmosphere
felt
familiar
but
slightly
livelier
than
before
.
Before
I
left
,
I
promised
myself
I
would
come
back
next
week
to
finish
the
novel
I
started
.
Common Phrases
formerly known as
formerly employed
formerly used
Synonyms
Related Words
Never forget "formerly"
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