If something happened or was true formerly, it happened or was true in the past.
例句
He had formerly been in the Navy.他從前在海軍服役。...east Germany's formerly state-controlled companies.東德原來的國有公司
英漢詞典釋義
adv.
以前;從前
This boat was formerly used on the rivers of China.這船從前航行在中國內河里。We now enjoy these comforts of which formerly we had only heard.我們現(xiàn)在享受到了過去只是聽說過的那些舒適條件。