formerly employed

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "formerly employed" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when referring to a person's previous job, such as in the sentence, "She was formerly employed at a retail store for five years."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Sir Elton is not the only talent formerly employed by Disney who will collaborate on "Lestat".

The New York Times

Jean was formerly employed at The New York Herald Tribune and also at Life Magazine.

The New York Times

In the book industry, many of those formerly employed people staffed independent stores.

The New Yorker

Does that mean that these formerly employed workers will have nowhere to go?

The Washington Post

Formerly employed by White Weld & Co., Paine Webber and Rotan Mosle and Co.

The New York Times

At the wheel is Bill Gilmartin, a retired, ponytailed biologist formerly employed by the National Marine Fisheries Service.

The Guardian

Of the five appointees, all are Republicans and four were formerly employed by the Suffolk County district attorney's office.

The New York Times

He declined, and in 1993 Kaki Hockersmith, formerly employed by an Arkansas Dillard's, took on the job.

The New Yorker

Rose, a local character formerly employed at the Bellevue morgue, wandered in and inquired after Nicky's evening plans.

The New Yorker

To the maidservant formerly employed at his lodgings, he was "one Mr Shakespeare that laye in the house".

The New York Times - Books

In 2013, applications from Afghan nationals formerly employed by the UK government to resettle in the UK were welcomed.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

In legal documents or official reports, "formerly employed" provides a precise way to refer to someone's past affiliation with an organization.

Common error

Avoid using "formally employed" when you mean "formerly employed". "Formally" relates to adhering to rules and procedures, whereas "formerly" indicates a past state or condition.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "formerly employed" functions as an adjectival phrase, modifying a noun to indicate that someone was previously employed in a particular role or organization. Ludwig AI confirms its correct and usable nature.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

44%

Science

28%

Academia

17%

Less common in

Formal & Business

6%

Encyclopedias

3%

Science

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "formerly employed" is a grammatically sound and widely used term for describing past employment. As Ludwig AI indicates, it's suitable for diverse writing contexts, from professional settings to news reporting. Its neutral register makes it versatile, although it is more suited to formal writing than to informal conversation. The related phrases offer options for similar meaning, adapting to specific writing styles. While "previously employed" is similar, choosing "formerly employed" ensures clarity and professionalism in your communication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

previously employed

Similar meaning but emphasizes the sequential aspect of employment.

formerly worked at

Focuses on the action of working and specifies the place.

once employed by

Similar to "formerly employed" but with a slightly different word order.

used to work for

More informal and conversational.

was an employee of

A simple and straightforward way to state past employment.

past employee of

Highlights the employee-employer relationship in the past.

ex-employee of

A shorter, more direct way to indicate former employment.

prior employment at

Emphasizes the temporal aspect of the employment.

one-time employee of

Emphasizes that the person was an employee only once.

held a position at

Focuses on the position held rather than just the employment.

FAQs

How can I use "formerly employed" in a sentence?

You can use "formerly employed" to describe someone's previous job, as in "She was "formerly employed" as a software engineer at Google."

What is a more informal alternative to "formerly employed"?

For a more casual tone, you could say "used to work at" or "previously worked at" depending on the context.

Is it correct to say "formally employed" instead of "formerly employed"?

No, "formally employed" is incorrect when referring to past employment. "Formally" refers to something done according to rules or conventions. Use ""formerly employed"" to indicate a previous job.

What's the difference between "formerly employed" and "previously employed"?

While both phrases have similar meanings, "previously employed" simply indicates employment at an earlier time. "Formerly employed" can sometimes imply a more distant or terminated association, but the difference is often subtle.