formerly because of

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "formerly because of" is not correct and does not convey a clear meaning in written English.
It is unclear and may confuse readers, as "formerly" indicates a past state while "because of" suggests a reason, which does not logically connect. Example: "The project was halted formerly because of budget constraints."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

60 human-written examples

I say formerly because, James confirmed, one of them is now a woman.

The Guardian - Film

The 1974 legislation gave legal sanction to political action committees, which corporations formerly shunned because of their unclear legal status.

The New York Times

He writes in the spirit of earlier historians, like the 16th-century Florentine Francesco Guicciardini and the 19th-century Milanese intellectual Carlo Cattaneo, who believed that the Italian cities formerly thrived because of mutual competition.

The New York Times - Books

The changing environment enabled families to evolve into distinctive forms and acquire new mobilities which were formerly restricted because of economic, political and social conditions.

The Journal of Chinese Sociology

This fish was formerly inaccessible because of its habitat deep in the seas surrounding the Antarctic shelf, as well as being somewhat unappealing when labeled with its official name, the Patagonian toothfish.

Environmental Health Perspectives

New Formerly out of bounds because of Farc activity, the Puracé national park is becoming popular for hiking, on account of its volcano, waterfalls and nearby hot springs – the Termales de San Juan.

The Guardian - Travel

In areas of human settlement, this precarious balance has frequently been upset by the extermination of many carnivores formerly considered undesirable because of their predatory habits.

Encyclopedia Britannica

The two extra complete takes of the sextet included in the new reissue are better than the ones that were formerly available, especially because of Coltrane's playing.

The New Yorker

In the mid-20th century, metropolitan Rio de Janeiro grew beyond its formerly narrow confines because of immigration from other parts of Brazil, as well as a high rate of natural increase.

Encyclopedia Britannica

The rapid melting of the Arctic ice by global warming is opening up a region which was formerly off limits because of its frozen geography, and so has remained untouched and environmentally pure, to large-scale industrial development.

Independent

Last November, the International Labor Organization, a United Nations affiliate based in Geneva with 175 member countries, called for stiff measures against Myanmar, formerly called Burma, because of the military government's practice of forcing villagers to do unpaid construction work.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Avoid using "formerly because of" in your writing. This phrase is grammatically incorrect and semantically unclear. Instead, use phrases like "previously due to" or separate the temporal and causal elements for clarity.

Common error

Do not combine temporal adverbs like "formerly" directly with causal phrases like "because of" without ensuring a logical connection. This often results in awkward and incorrect phrasing. Instead, rephrase to clearly indicate both the time frame and the cause separately.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "formerly because of" functions as an incorrect causal connector. Ludwig AI indicates that this phrase is grammatically flawed and does not convey a clear meaning. A correct usage would separate the temporal aspect from the causal relationship.

Expression frequency: Missing

Frequent in

Science

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News & Media

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Formal & Business

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Less common in

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Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "formerly because of" is grammatically incorrect and should be avoided. Ludwig AI flags this as a non-standard construction that lacks clarity. To express the intended meaning, it's recommended to use alternative phrases such as "previously due to" or to restructure the sentence to clearly separate the temporal and causal elements. Due to its grammatical flaws and lack of presence in authoritative sources, using "formerly because of" is not advisable in formal or informal writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

previously due to

Replaces "formerly" with "previously" to maintain the past aspect, while "due to" clearly indicates causation.

previously on account of

Similar to 'previously due to,' replacing 'due to' with 'on account of' for variation.

formerly, as a result of

Separates the temporal aspect with "formerly" and clarifies causation with "as a result of".

formerly, this was caused by

This is a more explicit way of stating that something was previously caused by a specific factor.

in the past, owing to

Uses "in the past" instead of "formerly" and "owing to" to express causation.

what was once due to

Emphasizes the change from a past state to the present, using 'what was once' to highlight the difference.

at one time, due to

Emphasizes the past time with "at one time" and uses "due to" for causation.

in earlier times, the reason was

A more descriptive and formal way of indicating that a past event or situation led to a particular outcome.

used to be because of

Replaces "formerly" with "used to be" to convey a past state, followed by "because of" for causation.

it used to be attributed to

Focuses on attribution and the reason why something was once credited to a particular cause.

FAQs

How can I correctly express something that happened in the past due to a specific reason?

Instead of using the incorrect phrase "formerly because of", consider alternatives like "previously due to" or "in the past owing to" depending on the context.

What's wrong with the phrase "formerly because of"?

The phrase "formerly because of" is grammatically awkward and semantically unclear. "Formerly" indicates a past state, while "because of" introduces a reason. Combining them directly without proper phrasing creates a confusing construction.

Is there a single word that combines the meaning of "formerly" and "because of"?

No, there isn't a single word that directly combines the meaning of "formerly" and "because of". It's better to use a phrase that clearly expresses both the past time and the reason, such as "previously as a result of".

Can I use "formerly" and "because of" in the same sentence?

Yes, but not directly adjacent to each other. You need to structure the sentence to clearly separate the temporal aspect (formerly) from the causal relationship (because of). For example, "The area was formerly a forest, because of extensive logging."