Former
Former adjective - Having been such at some previous time.
Previously and former are semantically related. In some cases you can use "Previously" instead an adverb "Former".
Nearby Word: formerly
Previously
Previously adverb - So as to precede something in order of time.
Former and previously are semantically related. Sometimes you can use "Former" instead an adverb "Previously".
Nearby Word: previous
Mutual synonyms
Both words in one sentence
- He has previously renounced all gods, but the man Brienne saw was digging graves for a priest — a former knight who'd undergone this trope years before.
Source: HeelFaith Turn - Since the Third Z previously featured Unicorn, comparisons between BX and the former duology are abound.
Source: Broken Base / Super Robot Wars - Who previously said that her dead boyfriend/former partner "always chose the Warehouse before me."
Source: Personal Effects Reveal
Cite this Source
Previously and Former. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 15, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/former/previously
Former & Previously. N.p., 2016. Web. 15 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/former/previously>.
Previously or Former. 2016. Accessed August 15, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/former/previously.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "former" and "previously" have occurred on timeline