Former
Noun, Adjective
UK
/ˈfɔː.mər/
US
/ˈfɔːr.mɚ/
Definition
(adj) : Belonging to an earlier time or previous position.
(n) : The first of two things mentioned.
(n) : The first of two things mentioned.
Example
"(adj) : The company’s former manager started his own business last year."
"(adj) : She met her former colleague at the conference after many years."
"(n) : Between ice cream and cake, she likes the former better."
Explanation
Former means something or someone that existed or held a position in the past but not now. For example, a former president means a person who was president before the current one. It helps talk about past roles, times, or conditions. You can also use “former” to compare two things, meaning the first of two things mentioned, like Between coffee and tea, I prefer the former, meaning coffee. The word shows something that used to be true before but has changed now.