former
n. countablen. the first of two people or things that you just mentioned. You use it to avoid repeating the same name or word twice.
n. the first of two people, things, or groups previously mentioned. Typically used in formal or academic writing to maintain cohesion without repetition.
He offered tea or coffee, and I chose the former.
The report compared solar and wind power, concluding that the former is more reliable in this specific region.
When choosing between a career in law and one in music, she eventually opted for the former, citing the stability of a legal practice over the uncertainty of the arts.
Inherited from Middle English former, comparative of forme (“first”), from Old English forma (“first”), descended from Proto-Germanic *frumô. Parallel to prior (via Latin), as comparative form from same Proto-Indo-European root. Related to first and fore (thence before), from Proto-Germanic.
Inherited from Middle English formere. By surface analysis, form + -er.
Always used with the definite article 'the'. It is frequently paired with 'the latter' to distinguish between two items in a list.
the former of the threethe first of the threeFormer is used only when comparing two items; for three or more, use 'the first'.