a former boyfriend of

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a former boyfriend of" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when referring to someone who used to be in a romantic relationship with another person. Example: "She often reminisces about her time with a former boyfriend of hers from college."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

42 human-written examples

Instead, Levon Brooks—a former boyfriend of Courtney Smith's mother, and Kennedy Brewer who dated Christine Jackson's mother were arrested and convicted in the two cases despite paltry evidence against them.

Vice

A former boyfriend of the Belle de Jour blogger claims she fabricated exploits.

Independent

A former boyfriend of Ms. Chiesi's referred to only as "Billy" apparently claims to know.

The New York Times

Others on the list were PR executive Max Clifford and a former boyfriend of Sadie Frost.

The Guardian

At first, the investigation focused on a former boyfriend of Ms. England's.

The New York Times

Volochkova's version is that it was because of the influence of a former boyfriend of hers, a powerful billionaire.

The New Yorker

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

15 human-written examples

In one case, a girl committed suicide after a former boyfriend circulated photos of her.

The New York Times

Asha referred to a former boyfriend as one of those "real" Americans, because he was white and had been here for generations, while she and her family were "always playing" at being Americans.

The New York Times

Following Karl's affair with Sarah, Susan goes out to dinner with Martin Chester Gil Tuckerr), a former boyfriend and member of Karl's university band.

Wikipedia

The actress has alleged that a female babysitter sexually abused her between the ages of 6 and 10, that an older man raped her when she was 12, and that a former boyfriend and six of his friends gang-raped her when she was in the ninth grade. .

Huffington Post

She began writing music at the age of 14 and a former boyfriend sent a tape of her singing with a jazz band to an A&R man.

BBC

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Consider the audience when choosing between "a former boyfriend of" and more informal alternatives like "her ex". In formal writing, "a former boyfriend of" is generally more appropriate.

Common error

Avoid mentioning someone as "a former boyfriend of" if the relationship has no bearing on the current topic. Irrelevant details can distract the reader and weaken your argument.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a former boyfriend of" functions as a prepositional phrase that modifies a noun, typically a person's name, indicating a past romantic connection. Ludwig examples show it appears in various contexts to identify a person's relationship history.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

100%

Less common in

Wiki

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Science

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "a former boyfriend of" is a prepositional phrase used to describe a past romantic relationship between two people. As Ludwig AI confirms, the phrase is grammatically correct and commonly used, especially in news and media contexts. When using this phrase, it's essential to ensure the past relationship is relevant to the current discussion. Alternatives include "an ex-boyfriend of" or "someone she used to date", depending on the desired level of formality. This phrase effectively provides background information and context to help the reader understand relationships between individuals mentioned in your content.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

an ex-boyfriend of

Replaces "former" with "ex-", a more concise and common alternative.

a past boyfriend of

Substitutes "former" with "past", emphasizing the temporal aspect of the relationship.

a previous boyfriend of

Uses "previous" instead of "former", maintaining a similar level of formality.

someone she used to date

Offers a more descriptive and less direct way of expressing the relationship.

her former beau

Replaces "boyfriend" with "beau", offering a slightly more old-fashioned or literary feel.

used to be her boyfriend

Expresses the concept using a different grammatical structure.

a one-time boyfriend of

Emphasizes that the relationship occurred only once or for a limited time.

a former flame of

Uses "flame" instead of "boyfriend", implying a passionate but short-lived relationship.

her ex

A very short and informal version.

once romantically involved with

A formal and indirect way to describe the past relationship.

FAQs

How can I use "a former boyfriend of" in a sentence?

You can use "a former boyfriend of" to indicate someone who was previously in a romantic relationship with a specific person. For example, "A former boyfriend of the victim was questioned by police."

What is a more informal way to say "a former boyfriend of"?

More informal alternatives include "her ex" or "someone she used to date". Consider your audience and the context when choosing the appropriate phrasing.

Is it correct to say "an ex-boyfriend of" instead of "a former boyfriend of"?

Yes, "an ex-boyfriend of" is a perfectly acceptable alternative. Both phrases convey the same meaning and are grammatically correct.

When is it appropriate to use the phrase "a former boyfriend of"?

Use "a former boyfriend of" when the fact that the person was previously in a relationship is relevant to the current discussion. It's often used in news reports, legal contexts, or when providing background information about someone.