Meaning & use
former
Having previously held a particular position, status, or role, but not any longer.
See it in a sentence
A former teacher, she now runs a small tutoring center out of her home.
The former mayor still attends every town meeting despite leaving office years ago.
A note on using this word
As a pronoun, 'the former' refers to the first of two things just mentioned, contrasted with 'the latter'.
Words with a similar meaning
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
Another way to use it
2. pronoun
The first of two people or things previously mentioned, as opposed to the latter.
Given a choice between coffee and tea, she always chooses the former.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “former”, then compare your use with the examples above.
Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.