[Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/formerly.html)

[home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [dictionaries](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/) / [The school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/) / formerly

[← F](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/F/)

# formerly

«formerly» in Mova's school dictionary: **in the past, before now, but not any more** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples.

### part of speech

adverb (formerly)

### meaning for a pupil

1) Formerly means in the past, before now, but not any more. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/formerly/#m1)

2) (formal) Formerly is used to give the old name of a person, place or thing. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/formerly/#m2)

### sense in the lessons

It tells the reader that something used to be true: «the library, formerly a church». In everyday life you see it on signs and in news: «formerly known as». In exam and formal writing it replaces «used to be». Phrases: formerly known as, formerly called.

### examples

- The café was formerly a bank. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/formerly/#x1)
- Mrs Smith, formerly Miss Jones, is our new teacher. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/formerly/#x2)
- The town was formerly a busy port. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/formerly/#x3)
- This land was formerly covered in forest. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/formerly/#x4)
- The shop, formerly known as Toyland, has a new name. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/formerly/#x5)
- He formerly lived in Dublin, but now he lives in Cork. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/formerly/#x6)
- The building was formerly used as a school. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/formerly/#x7)
- She would be as ‘terribly lonely’ as he had formerly been. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/formerly/#x8)

### note

An adverb. Do not confuse with «formally» (in a polite, official way) — they sound almost the same. «Formerly» = before; «formally» = officially. Mixing them is a very common spelling trap.

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «formerly» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/formerly/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.