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former

adj. · n.
US //ˈfɔɹmɝ// UK //fˈɔːmɐ// for·mer
  1. 1 previous (adj.)
    B1 Intermediate

    having a particular position or status in the past.

    denoting a person or thing that previously held a specified role or status. Usually used before a noun.

    Example

    The former president of the company still attends the annual holiday party.

    Example

    The former prime minister remains an influential figure within the party, frequently advising the current leadership on foreign policy matters.
  2. 2 the first of two (adj.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Formal

    the first of two people or things that you have just mentioned.

    referring to the first of two mentioned items or people; typically preceded by 'the' and often functions as a pronoun.

    Example

    He offered me a choice between a refund or a replacement, and I chose the former.

    Example

    The report discussed both economic growth and social equity, arguing that the former cannot be sustained without the presence of the latter.
    • first mentioned
    Pitfall
    Between tea and coffee, I prefer the first.
    Between tea and coffee, I prefer the former.

    When choosing between exactly two options mentioned in a sentence, use 'the former' for the first one and 'the latter' for the second.

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  1. 3 a creator (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Formal

    a person who makes or creates something.

    an agent who shapes, molds, or creates a specific object or concept.

    Example

    He was known as a former of public opinion during the early years of the revolution.

    Example

    As a former of young minds, the professor took his responsibility toward ethical instruction as seriously as his academic research.
  2. 4 a student in a specific year (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate British English

    a student in a particular year or class at school.

    a student belonging to a specific 'form' or year group within the British secondary education system.

    Example

    The sixth-formers are currently preparing for their final university entrance exams.

    Example

    The headmaster addressed the first-formers on their very first day, welcoming them to the traditions of the boarding school.
  3. 5 a shaping tool (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Technical Technical

    a tool or shape used to help make something else.

    a structural component, template, or tool used to provide shape or support during a manufacturing process.

    Example

    The carpenter used a wooden former to create the curved arch for the doorway.

    Example

    The aerospace engineers designed a lightweight composite former to maintain the aerodynamic profile of the wing during assembly.
Etymology 1

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.

Etymology 2

Inherited from Middle English formere. By surface analysis, form + -er.

Word family
Idioms1 entry

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