former

/ˈfɔɹmɚ/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: formers

Sense 1

Meaning · English

Previous.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Trước đó

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Adjective

Examples

A former president

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Meaning · English

First of aforementioned two items. Used with the, often without a noun.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Trong hai thứ đã đề cập, thứ đầu tiên

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Adjective

Examples

The former is a good idea but the latter is not.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 3

Meaning · English

Someone who forms something; a maker; a creator or founder.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Người tạo ra một thứ gì đó

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Noun

Examples

Dave was the former of the company.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 4

Meaning · English

An object used to form something, such as a template, gauge, or cutting die.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Một vật dùng để tạo hình, chẳng hạn như khuôn, thước đo hoặc khuôn cắt

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Noun

Examples

The brick arch was built using a wooden former.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “former” mean?

Previous.

Is “former” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.