former
英 [ˈfɔːmə(r)]
美 [ˈfɔːrmər]
adj. 以前的; 昔日的; 前; (两者中)前者的
n. 模型; 样板; 构成者; 创造者; 起形成作用的人; [无线]线圈架
复数：formers
Oxford 3000 / Collins.5 / BNC.588 / COCA.442
同义词辨析
previousforegoingformerprecedingprior【导航词义：先前的】
previousadj. 先前的，以前的
〔辨析〕
指在当下所提及的事件、时间等之前发生或存在的，通常作定语。
〔例证〕
She has a child from a previous marriage.
她前一次婚姻有一个孩子。
He discovered that he had met his new colleague before on three previous occasions.
他发现他以前见过他的新同事3次。
她前一次婚姻有一个孩子。
He discovered that he had met his new colleague before on three previous occasions.
他发现他以前见过他的新同事3次。
foregoingadj. 〈正式〉前述的
〔辨析〕
指事物在讲述、文章等中刚刚提到的，常作定语。
〔例证〕
the foregoing examples
上述例证
The foregoing conclusion is based on the following data.
上述结论是根据以下数据得出的。
上述例证
The foregoing conclusion is based on the following data.
上述结论是根据以下数据得出的。
formeradj. 以前的，从前的
〔辨析〕
指曾有过某种职务或地位的，也可指发生或存在于过去的。
〔例证〕
He has a great interest in books about the former president.
他对和那位前总统有关的书十分感兴趣。
His income has been reduced to half its former amount due to the economic depression.
由于经济萧条，他的收入已减少到以前的一半。
他对和那位前总统有关的书十分感兴趣。
His income has been reduced to half its former amount due to the economic depression.
由于经济萧条，他的收入已减少到以前的一半。
precedingadj. 〈正式〉在前的，前面的
〔辨析〕
指在所提时间、地点或部分之前发生或出现的。
〔例证〕
The examples in the preceding chapter are used again later.
上一章的例子后面又再次被使用。
Their plan of seeing a movie together on Friday failed because they had a quarrel on the preceding day.
他们周五一起看电影的计划泡汤了，因为他们在前一天吵了一架。
上一章的例子后面又再次被使用。
Their plan of seeing a movie together on Friday failed because they had a quarrel on the preceding day.
他们周五一起看电影的计划泡汤了，因为他们在前一天吵了一架。
prioradj. 在前的，较早的
〔辨析〕
较正式用词，多指先于另一事物或某一时间前存在或安排的。
〔例证〕
The discussion requires prior knowledge of the subject.
本次讨论要求事先了解该主题的相关知识。
No employee can be recruited without the prior approval of the manager.
事先未征得经理的同意不可以招收任何员工。
本次讨论要求事先了解该主题的相关知识。
No employee can be recruited without the prior approval of the manager.
事先未征得经理的同意不可以招收任何员工。
习惯用语
adj.
- be a shadow/ghost of your former self
- 失去昔日的力量（或影响等）；威风不再；不如当年
to not have the strength, influence, etc. that you used to have
牛津词典
adj.
- 以前的
that used to exist in earlier times- in former times
从前 - the countries of the former Soviet Union
前苏联加盟共和国 - This beautiful old building has been restored to its former glory .
这座美丽的老建筑物已恢复了昔日的壮观。
- in former times
- 昔日的；前
that used to have a particular position or status in the past- the former world champion
前世界冠军 - my former boss/colleague/wife
过去的老板 / 同事；前妻
- the former world champion
- （两者中）前者的
used to refer to the first of two things or people mentioned- The former option would be much more sensible.
前一种选择要明智得多。
- The former option would be much more sensible.
- （两者中的）前者
the first of two things or people mentioned- He had to choose between giving up his job and giving up his principles. He chose the former.
他得在放弃工作和放弃原则二者中择其一。他选择了前者。
- He had to choose between giving up his job and giving up his principles. He chose the former.
柯林斯词典
- ADJ 前任的;先前的
Formeris used to describe someone who used to have a particular job, position, or role, but no longer has it.- The unemployed executives include former sales managers, directors and accountants.
被解雇的管理人员包括前销售经理、主管和会计。 - ...former President Richard Nixon...
前总统理查德·尼克松 - He pleaded not guilty to murdering his former wife.
他对谋杀前妻的指控作了无罪抗辩。
- The unemployed executives include former sales managers, directors and accountants.
- ADJ (国家)原先的，先前的
Formeris used to refer to countries which no longer exist or whose boundaries have changed.- ...the former Soviet Union.
前苏联 - ...the former Yugoslavia.
前南斯拉夫
- ...the former Soviet Union.
- ADJ 昔日的;旧时的;曾经的
Formeris used to describe something which used to belong to someone or which used to be a particular thing.- ...the former home of Sir Christopher Wren.
克里斯托弗·雷恩爵士的旧居 - ...a former monastery.
昔日的修道院
- ...the former home of Sir Christopher Wren.
- ADJ 早先的;从前的
Formeris used to describe a situation or period of time which came before the present one.- He would want you to remember him as he was in former years.
他可能会希望你记住他早年的样子。
- He would want you to remember him as he was in former years.
- PRON 前者;前一个
When two people, things, or groups have just been mentioned, you can refer to the first of them asthe former.- Given the choice between a pure white T-shirt and a more expensive, dirty cream one, most people can be forgiven for choosing the former...
如果要在一件纯白的 T 恤和一件更贵的脏兮兮的米色 T 恤之间选择的话，多数人都会选前者，这是无可厚非的。 - If the family home and joint pension rights are of equal value, the wife may choose the former and the husband the latter.
如果家庭住房和共同养老金具有同样的价值，妻子可能会选前者，而丈夫会选后者。
- Given the choice between a pure white T-shirt and a more expensive, dirty cream one, most people can be forgiven for choosing the former...
英英释义
noun
- the first of two or the first mentioned of two
- Tom and Dick were both heroes but only the former is remembered today
双语例句
- I'm going to call on one of my former classmates.
我要去看望我的一位老同学。 - In 1918 the Romanian majority in this former tsarist province voted for union with Romania.
1918年，这个前沙皇统治的省份中占了多数的罗马尼亚人投票赞成与罗马尼亚合并。 - Her life was changed by a chance meeting with her former art master a few years ago.
她的生活因几年前同她以前的美术老师的偶遇改变了。 - She outpaced the former Olympic champion Evelyn Ashford.
她超过了前奥运冠军伊芙琳·阿什福德。 - I still hold my former views.
我仍然持过去的看法。 - The former President was demanding that he should be either put on trial or set free
前总统要求要么对他进行审判，要么将他释放。 - Given the choice between a pure white T-shirt and a more expensive, dirty cream one, most people can be forgiven for choosing the former
如果要在一件纯白的T恤和一件更贵的脏兮兮的米色T恤之间选择的话，多数人都会选前者，这是无可厚非的。 - The former head of counter-intelligence had been stripped of his rank and privileges.
反情报机构的前任长官被革职并剥夺了特权。 - Turkey and Greece were buffer states against the former Soviet Union.
土耳其和希腊是前苏联与反苏国家之间的缓冲国。 - Of the two opinions, I prefer the former.
这两种意见中我倾向于前一种。