Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Former
Form′er
,Noun.
1.
One who forms; a maker; a creator.
2.
(Mech.)
(a)
A shape around which an article is to be shaped, molded, woven wrapped, pasted, or otherwise constructed.
(b)
A templet, pattern, or gauge by which an article is shaped.
(c)
A cutting die.
1.
Preceding in order of time; antecedent; previous; prior; earlier; hence, ancient; long past.
For inquire, I pray thee, of the
former
age. Job. viii. 8.
The latter and
former
rain. Hosea vi. 3.
3.
Near the beginning; preceeding;
as, the
. former
part of a discourse or argument3.
Earlier, as between two things mentioned together; first mentioned.
Syn. – Prior; previous; anterior; antecedent; preceding; foregoing.
Webster 1828 Edition
Former
FORM'ER
,Noun.
Definition 2025
former
former
English
Alternative forms
Adjective
former (not comparable)
- Previous.
- A former president; the former East Germany
- 1893, Walter Besant, The Ivory Gate, chapter III:
- 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.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Translations
previous
|
|
first of aforementioned two items
Etymology 2
Noun
former (plural formers)
- First of aforementioned two items.
- The former is a good idea but the latter is not.
- I drive two vehicles. The first car is a GMC model and the latter is a Japanese-made vehicle. I won the former on a game show.
- Someone who forms something; a maker; a creator or founder.
- Dave was the former of the company.
- An object used to form something, such as a template, gauge, or cutting die.
- The brick arch was built using a wooden former.
- (chiefly Britain, used in combinations) Someone in, or of, a certain form (class).
- Fifth-former
- Sixth-former.
Derived terms
Statistics
Most common English words before 1923: minutes · appear · thoughts · #661: former · twenty · lips · donations
Anagrams
Danish
Noun
former c
- plural indefinite of form
Verb
former
- present tense of forme
Verb
former or formér
- imperative of formere
French
Etymology
Pronunciation
Verb
former
Conjugation
Conjugation of former (see also Appendix:French verbs)
| simple | compound | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| infinitive | former | avoir formé | |||||
| gerund | en formant | en ayant formé | |||||
| present participle | formant /fɔʁ.mɑ̃/ |
||||||
| past participle | formé /fɔʁ.me/ |
||||||
| person | singular | plural | |||||
| first | second | third | first | second | third | ||
| indicative | je (j’) | tu | il | nous | vous | ils | |
| simple tenses |
present | forme /fɔʁm/ |
formes /fɔʁm/ |
forme /fɔʁm/ |
formons /fɔʁ.mɔ̃/ |
formez /fɔʁ.me/ |
forment /fɔʁm/ |
| imperfect | formais /fɔʁ.mɛ/ |
formais /fɔʁ.mɛ/ |
formait /fɔʁ.mɛ/ |
formions /fɔʁ.mjɔ̃/ |
formiez /fɔʁ.mje/ |
formaient /fɔʁ.mɛ/ |
|
| past historic1 | formai /fɔʁ.me/ |
formas /fɔʁ.ma/ |
forma /fɔʁ.ma/ |
formâmes /fɔʁ.mam/ |
formâtes /fɔʁ.mat/ |
formèrent /fɔʁ.mɛʁ/ |
|
| future | formerai /fɔʁ.mə.ʁe/ |
formeras /fɔʁ.mə.ʁa/ |
formera /fɔʁ.mə.ʁa/ |
formerons /fɔʁ.mə.ʁɔ̃/ |
formerez /fɔʁ.mə.ʁe/ |
formeront /fɔʁ.mə.ʁɔ̃/ |
|
| conditional | formerais /fɔʁ.mə.ʁɛ/ |
formerais /fɔʁ.mə.ʁɛ/ |
formerait /fɔʁ.mə.ʁɛ/ |
formerions /fɔʁ.mə.ʁjɔ̃/ |
formeriez /fɔʁ.mə.ʁje/ |
formeraient /fɔʁ.mə.ʁɛ/ |
|
| compound tenses |
present perfect | Use the present tense of avoir followed by the past participle | |||||
| pluperfect | Use the imperfect tense of avoir followed by the past participle | ||||||
| past anterior1 | Use the past historic tense of avoir followed by the past participle | ||||||
| future perfect | Use the future tense of avoir followed by the past participle | ||||||
| conditional perfect | Use the conditional tense of avoir followed by the past participle | ||||||
| subjunctive | que je (j’) | que tu | qu’il | que nous | que vous | qu’ils | |
| simple tenses |
present | forme /fɔʁm/ |
formes /fɔʁm/ |
forme /fɔʁm/ |
formions /fɔʁ.mjɔ̃/ |
formiez /fɔʁ.mje/ |
forment /fɔʁm/ |
| imperfect1 |
formasse /fɔʁ.mas/ |
formasses /fɔʁ.mas/ |
formât /fɔʁ.ma/ |
formassions /fɔʁ.ma.sjɔ̃/ |
formassiez /fɔʁ.ma.sje/ |
formassent /fɔʁ.mas/ |
|
| compound tenses |
past | Use the present subjunctive tense of avoir followed by the past participle | |||||
| pluperfect1 | Use the imperfect subjunctive tense of avoir followed by the past participle | ||||||
| imperative | – | tu | – | nous | vous | – | |
| — | forme /fɔʁm/ |
— | formons /fɔʁ.mɔ̃/ |
formez /fɔʁ.me/ |
— | ||
| 1literary tenses | |||||||