Inherited from Middle English former, comparative of forme (“first”), from Old English forma (“first”), descended from Proto-Germanic *frumô. Parallel to prior (via Latin), as comparative form from same Proto-Indo-European root. Related to first and fore (thence before), from Proto-Germanic.
Meanings
(not-comparable) Previous.
A former president
Another ANC splinter party, the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MK), led by former President Jacob Zuma appears to be on course to do well in KwaZulu-Natal, the eastern coastal province where Durban is located. 2024 May 30, Sarah Dean and David McKenzie, “First results in South Africa’s election suggest it is heading for biggest political shift since apartheid”, in CNN:
the former East Germany
At half-past nine on this Saturday evening, the parlour of the Salutation Inn, High Holborn, contained most of its customary visitors.[…]In former days every tavern of repute kept such a room for its own select circle, a club, or society, of habitués, who met every evening, for a pipe and a cheerful glass. 1892, Walter Besant, chapter III, in The Ivory Gate […], New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers, […], →OCLC:
The former-slaves-turned-abolitionists Quobna Ottobah Cugoano and Olaudah Equiano were the chief organizers of the Sons of Africa. 2007, Junius P. Rodriguez, Encyclopedia of Emancipation and Abolition in the Transatlantic World:
Inherited from Middle English former, comparative of forme (“first”), from Old English forma (“first”), descended from Proto-Germanic *frumô. Parallel to prior (via Latin), as comparative form from same Proto-Indo-European root. Related to first and fore (thence before), from Proto-Germanic.
Meanings
(preceding with "the", singular, singular-only) The first of aforementioned two items.
The former is a good idea but the latter is not.
We have two cars, a red one and a blue one. We won the former on a game show.
Bananas are tastier than parsnips, but the latter’s nutritional value is higher than the former’s.
fa قدیم (previous) · sh préthodan (previous) · nl gewezen (previous) · id mantan (previous) · nb forhenværende (previous) · tr eski (previous) · de ehemalig (previous) · nl eerstgenoemde (first of aforementioned two items) · it anteriore (previous) · bn সাবেক (previous) · ca previ (previous) · de früher (previous) · ru бы́вший (previous) · hi पिछला (previous) · vi cũ (previous) · vi xưa (previous) · nb tidligere (previous) · es primera (first of aforementioned two items) · hi पूर्ववर्ती (first of aforementioned two items) · de ersterer (first of aforementioned two items) · da tidligere (previous) · th อดีต (previous) · pl pierwszy (z dwóch) (first of aforementioned two items) · ja 旧 (previous) · mnc ᠨᡝᠨᡝᡥᡝ (previous) · sv forna (previous) · mk претходен (previous) · hu előző (previous) · my ယခင် (previous) · ru пре́жний (previous) · da forhenværende (previous) · be бы́ўшы (previous) · nb førstnevnt (first of aforementioned two items) · el πρώην (previous) · la quondam (previous) · fr celui-là (first of aforementioned two items) · es aquella (first of aforementioned two items) · tr ilk (first of aforementioned two items) · ru пе́рвый (first of aforementioned two items) · hu egykori (previous) · oc anterior (previous) · fi edellinen (previous) · fa سابق (previous) · fa اولی (first of aforementioned two items) · pl były (previous) · fa اسبق (previous) · fo fyrrverandi (previous) · hi पूर्ववर्ती (previous) · de vormalig (previous) · pt primeiro (first of aforementioned two items) · bg преди́шен (previous) · hu előbbi (previous) · gl anterior (previous) · vi trước (first of aforementioned two items) · sco umwhile (previous) · te మునుపటి (previous) · es antiguo (previous) · de vorig (previous) · tr önce (previous) · mnc ᠨᡝᠨᡝᠮᡝ (previous) · nn førverande (previous) · ru предыду́щий (previous) · grc πρότερος (previous) · sh би̑вшӣ (previous) · bg пръв (first of aforementioned two items) · sh пре́тходан (previous) · nl voormalig (previous) · eo antaŭa (previous) · ms bekas (previous) · bn পূর্বতন (previous) · de alt (previous) · hu korábbi (previous) · sv före detta (previous) · fi ensimmäinen (first of aforementioned two items) · ja 前者 (first of aforementioned two items) · sl prejšnji (previous) · ka უწინდელი (previous) · km អតីត (previous) · hi पहला (first of aforementioned two items) · fi entinen (previous) · ps پخوانی (previous) · ka წინანდელი (previous) · th เก่า (previous) · ar سَابِق (previous) · nl deze (first of aforementioned two items) · ko 전자 (first of aforementioned two items) · es primero (first of aforementioned two items) · fr premier (first of aforementioned two items) · mk бивш (previous) · de erstere (first of aforementioned two items) · fi edeltävä (previous) · hu előbbi (first of aforementioned two items) · bn প্রাক্তন (previous) · ckb پێشوو (previous) · cmn 前 (previous) · ckb بەرتر (previous) · es aquello (first of aforementioned two items) · vi cựu (previous) · bg бивш (previous) · es aquel (first of aforementioned two items) · nn tidlegare (previous) · sl prvi (first of aforementioned two items) · uz sobiq (previous) · tr önceki (previous) · ja 前 (previous) · be былы́ (previous) · th ก่อน (previous) · es anterior (previous) · uk пе́рший (first of aforementioned two items) · uk коли́шній (previous) · it ex (previous) · de ersteres (first of aforementioned two items) · sh bȋvšī (previous) · sv förra (previous) · ms mantan (previous) · ko 전의 (previous) · sl bivši (previous) · id terdahulu (first of aforementioned two items) · cs bývalý (previous) · fr ancien (previous) · la anterior (previous) · tg пешина (previous) · cmn 前者 (first of aforementioned two items) · ca anterior (previous) · mba daan (previous) · it primo (first of aforementioned two items) · mi o mua (previous) · hu hajdani (previous) · be пе́ршы (first of aforementioned two items) · pt aquele (first of aforementioned two items) · sv föregående (first of aforementioned two items) · bg ми́нал (previous) · th ก่อนหน้า (first of aforementioned two items) · bn ভূতপূর্ব (previous) · fr précédent (previous) · vi nguyên (previous) · it precedente (previous) · sk bývalý (previous) · te ముందరి (previous) · bg преди́шен (first of aforementioned two items) · de vorherig (previous) · pt anterior (previous) · pt ex- (previous)