does Ex president and former president mean the same or are they used in different ways???????
2007-07-27 04:57:27 · 4 answers · asked by Anonymous in Education & Reference ➔ Words & Wordplay
'Former' is correct in all cases except for girlfriends, husbands, etc, I believe. I think 'ex' would be considered disrespectful in the instance you mentioned.
2007-07-27 05:04:18 · answer #1 · answered by Lea A 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Interesting answer to your question from "The Hindu"
" Most dictionaries don't make a distinction between the two words. "Ex" is defined as "former" and "former" is defined as "ex"! So what is the difference between an "ex-Prime Minister" and a "former Prime Minister"? Some scholars argue that the word "ex" should be used with the immediate past incumbent. According to these individuals, there can be only one ex-Prime Minister of India. Who was the Prime Minister of India before Mr. Vajpayee? It was Mr. Gujral. So, he is the ex-Prime Minister of India. And all the others who preceded him — Mr. Nehru, Smt. Indira Gandhi, and Mr. Rajeev Gandhi — are the "former" Prime Ministers. A man may have several former wives, but only one ex-wife".
2007-07-30 14:45:57 · answer #2 · answered by vennela 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They mean the same. Some editors do not like repetition in stories, they like to vary some of the descriptions and explanations so the copy reads easier. So in one paragraph he is referred to as "ex-president Clinton", in the next sentence or paragraph he is "former President Clinton", and then they switch it back and forth to avoid constant repetition.
It's weird, but that's picky editors.
2007-07-27 05:07:02 · answer #3 · answered by enn 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Former is a little more formal--ex is more of a slang term.
2007-07-27 05:04:50 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋