Formerly, Formally
Formerly is something that happened before, like when a pop star changed his name to a squiggle, he became known as The Artist Formerly Known as Prince. But formally comes from formal, or fancy, like the prom.
Former is at the root of formerly, referring to something that occurred earlier. If you changed your name, you'd be referred to as formerly known as whatever-your-name-used-to-be. It's not just for pop stars. If you want a word that means in the past or before, formerly fits the bill:
At the root of formally is formal, an adjective that describes something as following custom, regulations, or ceremonies. You might speak formally during your speech, but chat casually with everyone after. Formally describes something official:
(Description from Vocabulary.com) |