Former.

Of time: Former, ancient, of old.

Belonging to an earlier period, esp. of a person's life; belonging to an earlier state or condition; possessed, occupied, practised, etc., in an…

No longer in existence; of the distant past. Now opposed to modern.

Earlier in time. Now chiefly in the more specific sense: Pertaining to the past, or to a period or occasion anterior to that in question.

More generally: earlier (in temporal sequence); preceding another or others, occurring beforehand.

preceding, previous, foregoing.

followed by than. Obsolete. rare.

? Next preceding.

Previous to the present; former, early.

as adj. That formerly existed, occurred, etc.; former, ‘late’: = umquhile, adj., whilom, adv. 2b.

That comes or goes earlier or in front; preceding in time, order, or position (often also implying a… Without construction.

Earlier in time; existing or occurring beforehand; previous, former, antecedent. Cf. preceding, adj. 1.

That comes or goes earlier or in front; preceding; antecedent.

attributive. That was recently, but is no longer, the thing specified; former.

as adj. That existed, or was such, at a former time; former; †of a person, ‘late’, deceased (obsolete): = while, adv. 2b. archaic.

Earlier in time; existing or happening before something else; previous, former, antecedent; esp. that has just happened, occurring immediately before.

Of time: Former.

Anterior, previous, former. Obsolete.

Former, previous.

That goes or has gone before, preceding (in position or time).

foregoing, preceding, antecedent.

With reference to time: Former. Also in combination further-ealdefader (cf. Latin proavus): great grandfather. Obsolete.

Earlier; former, first. In later use English regional (northern).

attributive or as adj. That existed or was so at that time; the then ruler = the ruler that then was. (Cf. now, adj.)

Of an obligation, right, or title: Of longer standing, prior, that has superior validity. Obsolete.

Of things, qualities, conditions, etc.: that once was or existed; former, erstwhile.

Done or given at some earlier time. Of payments, etc.: Made in advance. ? Obsolete exc. dialect.

Previous, antecedent.

Preceding, previous; preliminary.

That precedes in time or order; earlier, former, anterior, antecedent. attributive.

That comes before in time or logical order; preceding, former, earlier, prior. In predicative use, chiefly with to.

Going before; previous, antecedent.

That once was; former.

attributive. Coming or going before (in time or order); foregoing, preceding, antecedent.

That has gone before; (immediately) preceding.

Preliminary, precursory; preceding, previous, pre-existing.

That comes or occurs before something else; antecedent, anticipatory. Obsolete.

That precedes in time or order; earlier, former, anterior, antecedent. In predicative use, chiefly with to.

Happening or existing before something else; antecedent, preceding, previous.

Chiefly Astrology. Antecedent. Obsolete.

Preceding, going before.

Anterior in date, superior in antiquity to.

gen. Coming before, preceding, prior, antecedent.

Having precedence in time or (occasionally) rank; preliminary, prefatory; pre-eminent. Obsolete.

Of the nature of an antecedent or precursor; (also) preceding in time or order; = antecedent, adj. 1.

former, late.

Coming before, preceding.

attributive. Former, past, earlier, previous.

That was so at one time; former.

Former; = one-time, adj. 1. rare.

attributive quasi-adj.

(Cf. whilom, adv.) literary.

Error for antecedaneous in a citation of J. Bramhall Def. True Liberty in C. Richardson New Dict. Eng. Lang. (1836), at Antecede v. (see quot…

The compounds in which Old English ǽr- has an adjectival force = ‘early’, ‘former’ (see compounds 1) were occasionally resolved, so that the first…