[Middle English, comparative of forme, first, from Old English forma; see per1 in Indo-European roots.]
Usage Note: Grammarians have often insisted that the phrases the former and the latter should be used only to refer to the first of two things and the second of two things, respectively, as in Ernest L. Thayer's "Casey at the Bat": "But Flynn preceded Casey, as did also Jimmy Blake, and the former was a lulu and the latter was a fake." It is easy to find violations of this rule in the works of good writers; nonetheless, many readers feel uneasy when the words are used in enumerations of more than two things, just as they would feel uneasy over the similar incorrect use of a comparative in a sentence such as Her boys are 7, 9, and 13; only the younger was born in California.
"earlier in time," c.1160, comparative of forme "first," patterned on formest "foremost" (see foremost). An unusual case of a comparative formed from a superlative (the -m- is a superlative element; the word was formed on the analogy of foremost).
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" [ant: latter]
2.
belonging to some prior time; "erstwhile friend"; "our former glory"; "the once capital of the state"; "her quondam lover" [syn: erstwhile]
3.
(used especially of persons) of the immediate past; "the former president"; "our late President is still very active"; "the previous occupant of the White House"
4.
belonging to the distant past; "the early inhabitants of Europe"; "former generations"; "in other times" [syn: early]
noun
1.
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]
Fore\, adv. [AS. fore, adv. & prep., another form of for. See For, and cf. Former, Foremost.]1. In the part that precedes or goes first; -- opposed to aft, after, back, behind, etc. 2. Formerly; previously; afore. [Obs. or Colloq.] The eyes, fore duteous, now converted are. --Shak. 3. (Naut.) In or towards the bows of a ship. Fore and aft (Naut.), from stem to stern; lengthwise of the vessel; -- in distinction from athwart. --R. H. Dana, Jr. Fore-and-aft rigged (Naut.), not rigged with square sails attached to yards, but with sails bent to gaffs or set on stays in the midship line of the vessel. See Schooner, Sloop, Cutter.
Fore"most`\, a. [OE. formest first, AS. formest, fyrmest, superl. of forma first, which is a superl. fr. fore fore; cf. Goth. frumist, fruma, first. See Fore, adv., and cf. First, Former, Frame, v. t., Prime, a.] First in time or place; most advanced; chief in rank or dignity; as, the foremost troops of an army. THat struck the foremost man of all this world. --Shak.
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