Formerly means in the past, but not anymore. When something happened formerly, it used to be true but has since changed. The country of Myanmar was formerly called Burma. Your math teacher might have formerly worked as an engineer before becoming an educator. A building that's now a library might formerly have been a post office.

The word signals a clear break between past and present. If someone introduces herself as “formerly a professional athlete,” she's telling you about her past career, not her current one. When a news article mentions “the formerly peaceful neighborhood,” it means the neighborhood used to be peaceful but isn't anymore.

Formerly differs from words like “previously” or “once” because it emphasizes the transformation or change. It highlights both what used to be true and how things are different now. You might say your city formerly had dirt roads, highlighting how much it has developed. The word helps us understand history and change: what used to be true, and what came after.