former

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English[edit]

Alternative forms[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Etymology 1[edit]

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.

Adjective[edit]

former (comparative form only)

  1. Previous.
    A former president;  the former East Germany
    • 1892, Walter Besant, chapter III, in The Ivory Gate: A Novel, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers, […], OCLC 16832619:
      At half-past nine on this Saturday evening, the parlour of the Salutation Inn, High Holborn, contained most of its customary visitors. […] In former days every tavern of repute kept such a room for its own select circle, a club, or society, of habitués, who met every evening, for a pipe and a cheerful glass.
    • 2007, Junius P. Rodriguez, Encyclopedia of Emancipation and Abolition in the Transatlantic World:
      The former-slaves-turned-abolitionists Quobna Ottobah Cugoano and Olaudah Equiano were the chief organizers of the Sons of Africa.
  3. First of aforementioned two items. Used with the, often without a noun.
    The former is a good idea but the latter is not.
    I drive two vehicles, a Chevy Camaro and an AMC Gremlin. I won the former on a game show.
Synonyms[edit]
Antonyms[edit]
Translations[edit]
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked

Etymology 2[edit]

form +‎ -er

Noun[edit]

former (plural formers)

  1. Someone who forms something; a maker; a creator or founder.
    Dave was the former of the company.
  2. An object used to form something, such as a template, gauge, or cutting die.
    The brick arch was built using a wooden former.
  3. (chiefly Britain, used in combinations) Someone in, or of, a certain form (class).
    Fifth-former.
    Sixth-former.
Derived terms[edit]

Anagrams[edit]

Danish[edit]

Etymology 1[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

IPA(key): [ˈfɒːmɐ]

Noun[edit]

former c

  1. indefinite plural of form

Etymology 2[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

IPA(key): [ˈfɒːmɐ]

Verb[edit]

former

  1. present of forme

Etymology 3[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

IPA(key): [fʌˈmeɐ̯ˀ]

Verb[edit]

former or formér

  1. imperative of formere

French[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Old French, borrowed from Latin fōrmō (“to form”)

Pronunciation[edit]

Verb[edit]

former

  1. to form (generic sense)
  2. to shape (to make into a certain shape)
  3. to train; to educate

Conjugation[edit]

Conjugation of former (see also Appendix:French verbs)
infinitive simple former
compound avoir + past participle
present participle or gerund1 simple formant
/fɔʁ.mɑ̃/
compound ayant + past participle
past participle formé
/fɔʁ.me/
singular plural
first second third first second third
indicative je (j’) tu il, elle nous vous ils, elles
(simple
tenses) 		present forme
/fɔʁm/ 		formes
/fɔʁm/ 		forme
/fɔʁm/ 		formons
/fɔʁ.mɔ̃/ 		formez
/fɔʁ.me/ 		forment
/fɔʁm/
imperfect formais
/fɔʁ.mɛ/ 		formais
/fɔʁ.mɛ/ 		formait
/fɔʁ.mɛ/ 		formions
/fɔʁ.mjɔ̃/ 		formiez
/fɔʁ.mje/ 		formaient
/fɔʁ.mɛ/
past historic2 formai
/fɔʁ.me/ 		formas
/fɔʁ.ma/ 		forma
/fɔʁ.ma/ 		formâmes
/fɔʁ.mam/ 		formâtes
/fɔʁ.mat/ 		formèrent
/fɔʁ.mɛʁ/
future formerai
/fɔʁ.mə.ʁe/ 		formeras
/fɔʁ.mə.ʁa/ 		formera
/fɔʁ.mə.ʁa/ 		formerons
/fɔʁ.mə.ʁɔ̃/ 		formerez
/fɔʁ.mə.ʁe/ 		formeront
/fɔʁ.mə.ʁɔ̃/
conditional formerais
/fɔʁ.mə.ʁɛ/ 		formerais
/fɔʁ.mə.ʁɛ/ 		formerait
/fɔʁ.mə.ʁɛ/ 		formerions
/fɔʁ.mə.ʁjɔ̃/ 		formeriez
/fɔʁ.mə.ʁje/ 		formeraient
/fɔʁ.mə.ʁɛ/
(compound
tenses) 		present perfect present indicative of avoir + past participle
pluperfect imperfect indicative of avoir + past participle
past anterior2 past historic of avoir + past participle
future perfect future of avoir + past participle
conditional perfect conditional of avoir + past participle
subjunctive que je (j’) que tu qu’il, qu’elle que nous que vous qu’ils, qu’elles
(simple
tenses) 		present forme
/fɔʁm/ 		formes
/fɔʁm/ 		forme
/fɔʁm/ 		formions
/fɔʁ.mjɔ̃/ 		formiez
/fɔʁ.mje/ 		forment
/fɔʁm/
imperfect2 formasse
/fɔʁ.mas/ 		formasses
/fɔʁ.mas/ 		formât
/fɔʁ.ma/ 		formassions
/fɔʁ.ma.sjɔ̃/ 		formassiez
/fɔʁ.ma.sje/ 		formassent
/fɔʁ.mas/
(compound
tenses) 		past present subjunctive of avoir + past participle
pluperfect2 imperfect subjunctive of avoir + past participle
imperative – tu – nous vous –
simple — forme
/fɔʁm/ 		— formons
/fɔʁ.mɔ̃/ 		formez
/fɔʁ.me/ 		—
compound — simple imperative of avoir + past participle — simple imperative of avoir + past participle simple imperative of avoir + past participle —
1 The French gerund is only usable with the preposition en.
2 In less formal writing or speech, the past historic, past anterior, imperfect subjunctive and pluperfect subjunctive tenses may be found to have been replaced with the indicative present perfect, indicative pluperfect, present subjunctive and past subjunctive tenses respectively (Christopher Kendris [1995], Master the Basics: French, pp. 77, 78, 79, 81).

Related terms[edit]

Further reading[edit]

Latin[edit]

Verb[edit]

fōrmer

  1. first-person singular present passive subjunctive of fōrmō

Norwegian Bokmål[edit]

Noun[edit]

former m or f

  1. indefinite plural of form

Verb[edit]

former

  1. present of forme

Norwegian Nynorsk[edit]

Noun[edit]

former f

  1. indefinite plural of form

Swedish[edit]

Noun[edit]

former

  1. indefinite plural of form

Anagrams[edit]

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