Synonyms of formerly

formerly

adverb

ˈfȯr-mər-lē 

1

as in once

at an earlier or previous time

the newspaper formerly known as "The Newsprint"

Synonyms & Similar Words

• once
• erstwhile
• onetime

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• recently
• now
• currently
• presently
• lately

2

as in earlier

so as to precede something in order of time

if you didn't get a malaria shot formerly, you'd better get one now

Synonyms & Similar Words

• earlier
• already
• previously
• ahead
• early
• before
• preliminarily
• now
• antecedently
• anteriorly
• afore
• in advance
• shortly
• soon
• beforehand
• first
• prematurely
• presently
• first off
• before long
• a priori
• erelong

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• later
• afterward
• subsequently
• after
• behind
• next
• by and by

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of formerly

The Stars, formerly the Chicago Red Stars, plan to play the entirety of their 2026 season, which began in March and runs until November, at Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium, located on the lakefront in Evanston. —Claire Murphy, Chicago Tribune, 29 Apr. 2026

Morens was a senior aide to Anthony Fauci, who was formerly chief medical adviser to the president and director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). —Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 29 Apr. 2026

His wife, Camilla, formerly the Duchess of Cornwall, became the Queen Consort, at the request of the former monarch. —Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 28 Apr. 2026

Starting with The Great American Bash this summer, the multiyear deal will mark the first time NXT’s PLEs, formerly referred to as pay-per-views due to their one-off rental revenue model, will air on broadcast television. —Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 28 Apr. 2026