former

noun
UK: /ˈfɔː.mər/
US: /ˈfɔːr.mɚ/

  1. The first of two people or things that have been mentioned.

    1. She mentioned tea and coffee; I prefer the former. [ ] [ ]
    2. Of the two options presented, the former seemed much more appealing to everyone involved. [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

previous prior
former adjective

  1. Having previously filled a particular role or been a specific thing.

    1. He is a former president of the company. [ ] [ ]
    2. My former boss gave me a great recommendation for my current job application. [ ] [ ]

Frequently Asked Questions

The phonetic transcription of "former" is /ˈfɔː.mər/ in British English and /ˈfɔːr.mɚ/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "former": previous, prior.

Example usage of "former": "She mentioned tea and coffee; I prefer the former.". More examples on the page.