FORMER: Synonyms and Related Words. What is Another Word for FORMER?

Need another word that means the same as “former”? Find 18 synonyms and 30 related words for “former” in this overview.

The synonyms of “Former” are: erstwhile, old, one-time, onetime, quondam, sometime, early, other, late, previous, earlier, past, bygone, long-ago, forgotten, immemorial, remote, first

Former as an Adjective

Definitions of "Former" as an adjective

According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, “former” as an adjective can have the following definitions:

• (used especially of persons) of the immediate past.
• Denoting the first or first mentioned of two people or things.
• Of the immediate past.
• Of or occurring in the past.
• Belonging to the distant past.
• Referring to the first of two things or persons mentioned (or the earlier one or ones of several.
• Belonging to some prior time.
• Having previously been a particular thing.

Synonyms of "Former" as an adjective (18 Words)

bygone	Well in the past; former. Relics of a bygone age.
earlier	(comparative and superlative of `early’) more early than; most early. A fashion popular in earlier times.
early	Of an early stage in the development of a language or literature. Early forms of life.
erstwhile	Former. The erstwhile president of the company.
first	Preceding all others in time or space or degree. Her first baby.
forgotten	Not noticed inadvertently. Her aching muscles forgotten she danced all night.
immemorial	Originating in the distant past; very old. An immemorial custom.
late	At or toward an end or late period or stage of development. The late Francis Bacon.
long-ago	Belonging to time long gone.
old	Used informally especially for emphasis old adj of a very early stage in development. He gave his old clothes away.
one-time	Belonging to some prior time.
onetime	Belonging to some prior time.
other	Very unusual; different in character or quality from the normal or expected- Lance Morrow. Today isn t any other day.
past	Earlier than the present time; no longer current. His youth is past.
previous	(used especially of persons) of the immediate past. The previous owner.
quondam	Belonging to some prior time. Quondam dissidents joined the establishment.
remote	Located far away spatially. A golden age in the remote past.
sometime	Belonging to some prior time. A sometime contributor.

Usage Examples of "Former" as an adjective

• Our former glory.
• Former generations.
• The powers of the former are more comprehensive than those of the latter.
• The seafarers of former times.
• I take the former view.
• Her former boyfriend.
• The former president.

Associations of "Former" (30 Words)

above	At a higher level or layer. For instructions refer to the above.
ahead	Leading or ahead in a competition. We like to plan ahead.
antecedence	Preceding in time.
antecedent	Denoting or counting as an antecedent. Antecedent events.
antedate	Indicate or discover that (a document, event, or word) should be assigned to an earlier date. There are no references to him that would antedate his birth.
anterior	(of a part of a flower or leaf) situated further away from the main stem. An incident anterior to her troubles.
before	During the period of time preceding a particular event or time. I had known her before.
beforehand	Before an action or event; in advance. Was beforehand with her report.
first	The fielding position of the player on a baseball team who is stationed at first of the bases in the infield counting counterclockwise from home plate. The first meetings of the new party.
forego	Lose (s.th.) or lose the right to (s.th.) by some error, offense, or crime.
formerly	In the past; in earlier times. The building formerly housed the National Assembly.
front	Be or stand in front of. The Spartans preserving an even and unbroken front.
outdistance	Go far ahead of. She could maintain a fast enough pace to outdistance any pursuers.
precede	Be the predecessor of. Most English adjectives precede the noun they modify.
precedence	Preceding in time. Quarrels over precedence among the Bonaparte family marred the coronation.
precedent	A previous case or legal decision that may be or binding precedent must be followed in subsequent similar cases. We hope to set a legal precedent to protect hundreds of miles of green lanes.
preceding	Of a person who has held and relinquished a position or office. The preceding pages.
precursor	A person or thing that comes before another of the same kind; a forerunner. Pepsinogen is the inactive precursor of pepsin.
predate	Establish something as being earlier relative to something else. Here parish boundaries seem clearly to predate Roman roads.
predecessor	Something that precedes and indicates the approach of something or someone. The chapel was built in 1864 on the site of its predecessor.
preface	Provide a book with a preface. It is important to preface the debate with a general comment.
prefatory	Serving as an introduction; introductory. In his prefatory remarks the author claims that.
prehistoric	No longer fashionable. My dad s electric typewriter was a prehistoric machine.
premature	(of a baby) born before the end of the full term of gestation, especially three or more weeks before. A premature infant.
prematurely	Before the due time; ahead of time. His son died prematurely.
previous	Previous convictions a criminal record. She looked tired after her exertions of the previous evening.
previously	At a previous or earlier time; before. She had previously lived in Chicago.
prior	The head of a religious order in an abbey the prior is next below the abbot. He has a prior engagement this evening.
priority	The right to proceed before other traffic. The safety of the country takes priority over any other matter.
untimely	Uncommonly early or before the expected time. An untimely remark.