The meaning of former is coming before in time. How to use former in a sentence. You use former in front of a noun to indicate that the person you are talking about is no longer the thing referred to by the noun.
For example, the former chairman of a company used to be the chairman,. Our former manufacturing process was too costly. The former suggestion was preferred to the latter.
Definition of former adjective in oxford advanced american dictionary. Jan 20, 2026noun former (plural formers) someone who forms something; Former is an adjective that refers to a person who held or occupied a particular position, status, or role in the past but no longer does.
See examples of former used in a sentence. Discover expressions like "in a former life", "shadow of.