former

The word “former” means existing or happening before now; previous. In plain terms, describes someone or something that used to hold a role or existed earlier, or the first-named of two options.

“Former” is pronounced FAW-muh (/ˈfɔɹmɚ/ in IPA).

Here is “former” used in a sentence: “The former president gave a speech at the ceremony.”

Words with a similar meaning to “former” include antecedent, anterior, earlier, erstwhile, ex and foregone.

The opposite of “former” — its antonyms — are current and subsequent.

“Former” is an adjective.

The word “former” comes from Old English. From Middle English former, the comparative of forme ("first"), from Old English forma — related to "first" and "fore.".

“Former” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.

When two things have just been mentioned, 'former' points to the first one and 'latter' to the second. If you say 'tea or coffee — I prefer the former,' you mean tea. They only work as a pair for two items; with three or more, use 'first' and 'last' instead.

It means the person once held that role but no longer does — a former president is not in office now, and a former teacher has left the profession. It is the more formal equivalent of the prefix 'ex-,' so 'former manager' and 'ex-manager' mean the same thing.

In the sense of 'previous,' yes — a former colleague and an ex-colleague both once held that link to you. 'Former' sounds a little more formal and suits jobs, places, and states of being. 'Ex' on its own most often refers specifically to a previous romantic partner.