/ˈfɔ:mə(r) ||; ˈfɔrmɚ/adj
(only before a noun 只用于名词前) of an earlier time; belonging to the past 前些时候的;以前的:
Ronald Reagan, the former American President前任美国总统罗讷德˙里根In former times people often had larger families.以往的家庭往往比现在的大。
former1/ˋfɔrmɚ; ˈfɔːmə/adj [only before noun 仅用于名词前] happening, existing, or true in the past, but not now [→ present, previous] 以前的﹐从前的: former US president, Bill Clinton 美国前总统比尔∙克林顿the former Soviet Union 前苏联my former husband 我的前夫
former2n the formerformal the first of two things that you have just mentioned [ latter ]【正式】前者: Of the two theories, the former seems more likely. 在这两种看法中﹐前者似乎可能性更大。
formerformerformersadjective1of a time before now: the former Prime Minister2the formerthe first of two things or people: He had to choose between losing his job and losing his family. He chose the former.oppositethe latter