Formerly
Example: The building was formerly a school before becoming a museum.
Definition
"Formerly" is an adverb used to indicate that something existed or happened in the past but does not anymore. It often refers to a previous state or condition, as in the example, "The building was formerly a school before becoming a museum."
Etymology
The adverb "formerly" comes from the adjective "former," which means 'previous' or 'earlier.' "Former" originates from the Old English word "forma," meaning 'first.' The suffix "-ly" was added to turn it into an adverb, indicating the manner or time of an action. Did you know that "formerly" has been used since the late Middle Ages to clearly mark something as belonging to an earlier time?
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"Formerly" appears in the Vocaplus list "English - History - (A1) - set 1", containing 208 commonly used words.
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