former

n.

1. One that forms; a maker or creator: a former of ideas.
2. A member of a school form: a fifth former.

for·mer² (fôr'mər)
adj.

1. 1. Occurring earlier in time.
   2. Of, relating to, or taking place in the past.
2. Coming before in place or order; foregoing.
3. Being the first of two mentioned.
4. Having been in the past: a former ambassador.

[Middle English, comparative of forme, first, from Old English forma.]

USAGE NOTE   Grammarians have often insisted that the phrases the former and the latter should be used only to refer to the first of two things and the second of two things, respectively, as in Ernest L. Thayer's “Casey at the Bat”: “But Flynn preceded Casey, as did also Jimmy Blake, and the former was a lulu and the latter was a fake.” It is easy to find violations of this rule in the works of good writers; nonetheless, many readers feel uneasy when the words are used in enumerations of more than two things, just as they would feel uneasy over the similar incorrect use of a comparative in a sentence such as Her boys are 7, 9, and 13; only the younger was born in California.

adjective

1. Just gone by or elapsed: antecedent, anterior, earlier, foregoing, past, precedent, preceding, previous, prior. See time.
2. Having been such previously: erstwhile, late, old, once, onetime, past, previous, quondam, sometime, whilom. See precede/follow.

adj

Definition: previous in time or order
Antonyms: after, current, ensuing, following, future, next, present, prospective, subsequent, succeeding

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IN BRIEF: n. - The first of two or the first mentioned of two; Before or preceding another in time; Long past.

There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow men--true nobility is being superior to your former self.

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Dansk (Danish)
1.
adj. - tidligere, forhenværende

idioms:

• in former times    i fordums tid

2.
n. - tildanner, patron, formvalse

Nederlands (Dutch)
vroeger, eerder, eerste, voormalig, vorig, leerling in bepaalde klas, vormend iets/iemand

Français (French)
1.
adj. - antérieur, original, ancien, autrefois, jadis, anciennement, initial, premier (de deux éléments)

idioms:

• in former times    autrefois

2.
n. - créateur , formateur, personne/chose qui sert à former, (GB, École)élève d'une classe (du secondaire)

Deutsch (German)
1.
adj. - früher, ehemalig

idioms:

• in former times    früher

2.
n. - Gestalter, Dreher, Form

Ελληνική (Greek)
adj. - πρώην, τέως, παλαιός, προηγούμενος, προγενέστερος, (ο) πάλαι ποτέ, (ο) άλλοτε, αλλοτινός, παλαιότερος

idioms:

• in former times    σε προηγούμενες εποχές

Italiano (Italian)
anteriore, ex, precedente

Português (Portuguese)
adj. - anterior

idioms:

• in former times    em épocas anteriores

Русский (Russian)
прежний, раньше, первый из двух

idioms:

• in former times    бывало, в былые времена

Español (Spanish)
1.
adj. - antiguo, anterior, pasado

idioms:

• in former times    en otros tiempos, en tiempos pasados

2.
n. - creador, formador, horma, molde

Svenska (Swedish)
adj. - föregående, förre

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
1. 形成者, 样板, 模型

idioms:

• in former times    从前

2. 从前的, 旧时的, 早前的, 前者的, 在前的, 前任的

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
1.
n. - 形成者, 樣板, 模型

idioms:

• in former times    從前

2.
adj. - 從前的, 舊時的, 早前的, 前者的, 在前的, 前任的

한국어 (Korean)
1.
adj. - 전의, 전자의

idioms:

• in former times    옛날

2.
n. - 형성자, 만드는 도구

日本語 (Japanese)
adj. - 前の, 以前の, 前者の, 前者
n. - 形成者, …年生

idioms:

• in former times    昔は
• one's former self    過去の自分

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(صفه) سابق‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮אדם או דבר מתהווה, יוצר, מעצב‬
adj. - ‮קודם, לשעבר, הראשון, הקודם‬

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