Definition of previousnext

Synonym Chooser

How is the word previous distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of previous are antecedent, anterior, foregoing, former, preceding, and prior. While all these words mean "being before," previous and prior imply existing or occurring earlier, but prior often adds an implication of greater importance.

a child from a previous marriage
a prior obligation

Where would antecedent be a reasonable alternative to previous?

The synonyms antecedent and previous are sometimes interchangeable, but antecedent applies to order in time and may suggest a causal relation.

conditions antecedent to the revolution

In what contexts can anterior take the place of previous?

While the synonyms anterior and previous are close in meaning, anterior applies to position before or ahead of usually in space, sometimes in time or order.

the anterior lobe of the brain

When might foregoing be a better fit than previous?

In some situations, the words foregoing and previous are roughly equivalent. However, foregoing applies chiefly to statements.

the foregoing remarks

When is it sensible to use former instead of previous?

Although the words former and previous have much in common, former implies always a definite comparison or contrast with something that is latter.

the former name of the company

When can preceding be used instead of previous?

The meanings of preceding and previous largely overlap; however, preceding usually implies being immediately before in time or in place.

the preceding sentence

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of previous That time beat the previous mark, which was set by an Audi RS Q8 Performance in the fall of 2024, by nearly 14 seconds. Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 22 June 2026 Molner has two children from a previous relationship, daughter Allie, 28, and son Henry, 31. Ashlyn Robinette, PEOPLE, 22 June 2026 After the fireworks, a Boise Police officer approached Idaho Potato Drop CEO Dylan Cline and a pyrotechnics technician to tell them about the shattered windows, according to previous Statesman reporting. Joshua Dougherty, Idaho Statesman, 22 June 2026 Burnham left parliament in 2017 to become Manchester mayor, after serving in previous Labour governments and challenging for the party leadership in 2015. Joseph Wilkins, CNBC, 22 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for previous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for previous
Adjective
  • In those days, the Emirati air force and air defense were much more modest than today, outmatched in quality and quantity by Iran’s air and naval forces built in the preceding decade by the last shah.
    Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 22 Mar. 2026
  • As a result, far fewer people were arrested and deported from the border than in the preceding few years.
    Albert Sun, New York Times, 18 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • To better understand what drives a young person to commit these crimes, CNN spent months searching for prior offenders willing to speak about their experience.
    Hanako Montgomery, CNN Money, 22 June 2026
  • His prior credits include pilots for Hulu’s The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox, Candy, and Castle Rock, as well as Netflix’s The Decameron and AMC’s Mayfair Witches.
    Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 22 June 2026
Adjective
  • Hours after a woman was found shot to death in a Cedar Hill home early Thursday, detectives arrested her boyfriend on a murder charge, police said.
    Doug Myers, CBS News, 26 June 2026
  • The lake's level typically bottoms out each spring before melting snow begins refilling it through early summer.
    Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 26 June 2026
Adjective
  • The heads of the California Business Roundtable, California Taxpayers Association and California Business Properties Association — all supporters of the initial Local Taxpayer Protection Act—issued a statement praising the compromise agreement.
    Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 26 June 2026
  • Medi-Cal coverage of immigrants without legal status costs the state roughly $10 billion a year, according to California’s nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office, more than double the initial estimates.
    Christine Mai-Duc, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2026
Adjective
  • Illapa Sairitupac, Democratic New York State assembly candidate, from left, Zohran Mamdani, mayor of New York, and Brad Lander, former New York City comptroller and US Democratic House candidate for New York, campaign during a primary election in New York, US, on Tuesday, June 23, 2026.
    Dan Mangan, CNBC, 24 June 2026
  • Cendejas is a partner at the Strategy Group and has worked with several notable winning political campaigns, including San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie and Wahab’s first run for Senate against former Fremont Mayor Lily Mei in 2022.
    Kyle Martin, Mercury News, 24 June 2026
Adjective
  • Their protections may have been further eroded with a precedent decision recently in which the Board of Immigration Appeals determined that DACA status alone is not enough to stop deportation.
    Hallie Golden, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2026
  • These tools can generate a first-draft NDA within seconds by drawing on vast training libraries of precedent agreements and current market standards.
    AllBusiness, Forbes.com, 18 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • History buffs, don’t miss the White River Museum on Park Avenue, which offers a quirky account of local history from inside a pair of the town’s original log buildings.
    Jamie Siebrase, Denver Post, 26 June 2026
  • Fifty years and thousands of runs later, six of the original players still take to the diamond nearly every Sunday, swinging for the fences.
    Christopher Buchanan, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Previous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/previous. Accessed 29 Jun. 2026.

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