former

About 68.37 uses per million words.

Meaning

1. adjective Previous.

   A former president

2. noun The first of aforementioned two items.

   The former is a good idea but the latter is not.

3. noun Someone who forms something; a maker; a creator or founder.

   Dave was the former of the company.

4. noun An object used to form something, such as a template, gauge, or cutting die.

   The brick arch was built using a wooden former.

5. noun Someone in, or of, a certain form (class).

   Fifth-former.

Similar words

quondam erstwhile past previous early sometime onetime other once late

Often followed by

is case times soviet president was are and of

Word family

formers