former (
http://definr.com/former)
adj 1: referring to the first of two things or persons mentioned
(or the earlier one or ones of several); "the novel
was made into a film in 1943 and again in 1967; I
prefer the former version to the latter one" [syn:
former(a)]
[ant:
latter(a)]
2: belonging to some prior time; "erstwhile friend"; "our
former glory"; "the once capital of the state"; "her
quondam lover" [syn:
erstwhile(a),
former(a),
once(a),
onetime(a),
quondam(a),
sometime(a)]
3: (used especially of persons) of to the immediate past; "the
former president"; "our late President is still very
active"; "the previous occupant of the White House" [syn:
former(a),
late(a),
previous(a)]
4: of the distant past; "the early inhabitants of Europe";
"former generations"; "in other times" [syn:
early(a),
former(a),
other(a)]
n : the first of two or the first mentioned of two; "Tom and
Dick were both heroes but only the former is remembered
today" [ant:
latter]