adjective

ehemalig

former

So nennt man etwas oder jemanden, das oder der früher zu einer bestimmten Gruppe, Position oder Zeit gehört hat, aber jetzt nicht mehr dazugehört.

Definition & meaning

The adjective ehemalig describes something or someone that belonged to a status, position, or group in the past but no longer does so. It is commonly used to refer to people who held a specific office or job, or to objects/entities that have since changed their purpose or identity.

Meaning 1 (People): Former or ex-. For example, an ehemaliger Lehrer is a teacher who previously held that position but has retired or moved on.
Meaning 2 (Objects/Places): Previous or ex-. For example, an ehemaliges Fabrikgebäude is a building that used to be a factory but now serves a different purpose.

Grammar & Word origin

Grammar: It is an adjective that follows standard German declension rules (e.g., der ehemalige Präsident, eine ehemalige Schule). It is often used as a prefix in compound nouns or as an attributive adjective.
Origin: The word is derived from the noun ehemals , which itself is composed of ehe (meaning "formerly" or "before") and mal (referring to a point in time). Literally, it translates to "of former times."