Former and Old

Former

Former adjective - Having been such at some previous time.
Usage example: the coach is a former professional baseball player

Old is a synonym for former in bygone topic. In some cases you can use "Old" instead the word "Former" as an adjective or a noun, when it comes to topics like past, precede, earlier, previous. popular alternative

Nearby Word: formerly

Old

Old adjective - Having been such at some previous time.
Usage example: I ran into my old fourth-grade teacher yesterday

Former is a synonym for old in bygone topic. You can use "Former" instead an adjective "Old", if it concerns topics such as time, precede. obsolete substitute

Nearby Words: oldie, olden, oldish

Both words in one sentence

  • Cool Old Guy Grandpa Max from Ben 10, especially after he's revealed to be a former Man in Black who remembers quite a bit from his old job and still has access to his old gear.
    Source: Cool Old Guy
  • The film opens and closes with narrations from both the old and young Charles Xavier, respectively; the former contemplates the future while the latter reflects on the past.
  • Film / X-Men: Days of Future Past Bookends: The film opens and closes with narrations from both the old and young Charles Xavier, respectively; the former contemplates the future while the latter reflects on the past.
Cite this Source
Old and Former. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 15, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/former/old
Former & Old. N.p., 2016. Web. 15 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/former/old>.
Old or Former. 2016. Accessed August 15, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/former/old.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "former" and "old" have occurred on timeline