former

former — adjective

1. used for describing someone or something that had a particular job, position, re

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

used for describing someone or something that had a particular job, position, relationship, or role at an earlier time but no longer has it

Example

Omar met his former teacher at the market last Saturday.

former + teacher, boss, colleague — previous role nouns

The former president spoke at the university about climate change.

Common collocations
  • former president
  • former boss
  • former wife / former husband
  • former colleague
  • former student
  • former employee
  • former home
  • former owner
Synonyms
  • previous

    emphasises order in a sequence (previous job = the one right before the current one)

  • past

    broader in scope; can describe a whole period rather than a single role

  • ex-

    informal and strongly associated with romantic partners or quick labels

  • one-time

    slightly more formal; stresses that the role was temporary

Antonyms
  • current

    describes the role someone holds now

  • present

    describes the status that exists at this moment

Grammar Patterns

former + noun

Usage Note

Only used before a noun (attributive position). Cannot be used alone as a predicate (*He is former). For the contrasting pair 'the former…the latter', see sense 2.

Common Mistakes

She is my ex-teacher.
She is my former teacher.
'ex-' is informal and best restricted to romantic partners; 'former' is the standard neutral choice for jobs and roles.
He is former.
He is a former employee.
'former' cannot stand alone after a linking verb; it must modify a noun.

2. identifying the first item among two people, things, or options that were stated

2.adjectiveB2
Definition

identifying the first item among two people, things, or options that were stated earlier, often to set up a clear contrast with the second one

Example

Between cycling and swimming, Maeve prefers the former activity.

the former + noun — contrasting two items

The store offered two plans, and the former was a lot cheaper.

Common collocations
  • the former option
  • the former case
  • the former plan
  • the former … the latter
Synonyms
  • first-mentioned

    more explicit but less common in everyday speech

  • first

    simpler and works for any number of items

Antonyms
  • latter

    the second of the two items being contrasted

Grammar Patterns

the former + noun

Usage Note

Always paired with the definite article 'the'. Frequently contrasts with 'the latter' later in the same sentence or passage. This sense does not work with more than two items — use 'the first' instead for lists of three or more.

Common Mistakes

Between the three options, the former is best.
Among the three options, the first is best.
'former' only contrasts exactly two items.
Former option is cheaper.
The former option is cheaper.
'the' is required before 'former' in this sense.
Idioms

be a shadow/ghost of your former self

idiom

To be much weaker or less successful than you were before.

After the illness, Maria was a shadow of her former self.

The company, once a market leader, is now a ghost of its former self.

former — noun

former — suffix

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All five words can describe something that existed or happened before now, but they differ in scope and register. 'Former' is the most neutral and widely used in formal and informal contexts — it works for jobs, relationships, and statuses: 'a former teacher', 'a former champion'. 'Previous' emphasises order in a sequence and is especially common for immediately preceding items: 'her previous job' (the one right before the current one). 'Past' is broader and can describe a whole period: 'past presidents' may refer to everyone who has ever held the office. 'Ex-' is informal and restricted in register; it is standard for romantic partners ('ex-boyfriend') but sounds casual or dismissive with professional roles ('ex-boss'). 'One-time' is slightly more formal and highlights that the role was temporary: 'a one-time actor who now runs a restaurant'. In most professional contexts, 'former' is the safest and clearest choice.

former ↗previous ↗past ↗ex-one-time

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • the former ... the latter

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word 'former' comes from Middle English 'former', which was originally a comparative form of 'forme' (first). 'Forme' itself comes from Old English 'forma' (first, foremost), which is related to 'fore' (before). The comparative ending '-er' was added to create a word meaning 'more first' or 'earlier'. The noun use — 'the former' (the first of two) — developed naturally from the adjective's meaning of 'first in order'. Meanwhile, the suffix '-former' (as in sixth-former) comes from a different root: 'form' meaning a school class, from Latin 'forma' (shape, arrangement), adopted into British school vocabulary in the 1500s.