1
formerly, + 句子
用于句首，后面加逗号，引出过去的情况。
Formerly, this building was a hospital.
以前，这栋楼是一家医院。
以前；从前；先前
先理解核心含义，再看它在真实句子里的用法。
以前；从前；先前
previously; in the past
Formerly, this building was a hospital.
以前，这栋楼是一家医院。
在过去某时。
at some time in the past
在以前的时间
at a previous time
先前；一度。
previously; once
She formerly worked as a teacher before becoming a writer.
她以前在成为作家之前当过老师。
This building was formerly a hospital, but now it's a museum.
这栋建筑以前是一家医院，但现在是一座博物馆。
They formerly lived in New York, but they moved to Los Angeles last year.
他们以前住在纽约，但去年搬到了洛杉矶。
用于句首，后面加逗号，引出过去的情况。
Formerly, this building was a hospital.
以前，这栋楼是一家医院。
位于主语之后、实义动词之前。
She formerly worked as a teacher.
她以前当过老师。
常用于描述名称变更。
The company, formerly known as Smith & Co., has rebranded.
这家公司以前名为Smith & Co.，现已更名。
Not this
He was formally the CEO.
Use this
He was formerly the CEO.
注意：formerly 和 formally 发音相近但含义不同，formerly 意为“以前”，formally 意为“正式地”。
Not this
The formerly president resigned.
Use this
The former president resigned.
formerly 是副词，不能直接修饰名词；应使用形容词 former 表示“前任的”。
Focus on the distinctions below. Other candidates are kept compact until a reliable usage note is available.
以前被称为
The company, formerly known as Acme Corp., changed its name last year.
这家公司以前被称为Acme公司，去年改了名。
前成员
She is a formerly a member of the board of directors.
她是董事会的前成员。
以前被占据的
The building was formerly occupied by a law firm.
这栋建筑以前被一家律师事务所占据。
以前使用的
This room was formerly used as a storage space.
这个房间以前用作储藏室。
以前叫做
The city, formerly called Constantinople, is now Istanbul.
这座城市以前叫做君士坦丁堡，现在叫伊斯坦布尔。
以前居住
He formerly lived in New York before moving to California.
他以前住在纽约，后来搬到了加州。
曾用名
The company, formerly known as ABC Corp., has rebranded.
这家公司，曾用名ABC公司，已经更名。
曾任（某机构）的
She is a professor formerly of Harvard University.
她曾是哈佛大学的教授。
以前在（某地或某领域）
He was formerly in the military.
他以前在军队服役。
Use formerly naturally, then get feedback on meaning, tone, grammar, and phrasing.
Revisit a common error or keep this word in your review list.
以前是former，加ly成formerly，联想'former'（前任）代表过去。
通常用于正式或书面语境，表示‘以前’之意，在口语中也偶尔使用，但多见于记叙或说明文字。
normally and formally rhyme with formerly (stressed vowel /ɔː/ followed by /məli/); other words like likely, commonly, and friendly share the -ly ending but have different stressed vowels.
Dictionary facts from DICTIONARY_API_DEV, ECDICT, WIKTIONARY.