previous

adjective

pre·​vi·​ous ˈprē-vē-əs 

1

: going before in time or order : prior

the previous owners

previous attempts had failed

reread the previous page

2

: acting too soon : premature

somewhat previous in his conclusion

previously adverb

Physicists have constructed a pipette that dispenses a billionth of a trillionth of a liter, a droplet that's a thousand times as small as volumes previously achieved.

—A. Cunningham

Previously, many mutations have been induced by harsh treatments such as X rays, UV light or chemicals.

—Kevin Struhl

previousness noun

Had I been capable of looking closer then, I might have asked myself why every kind of previousness miraculously survived there …

—Robyn Davidson

Synonyms of previous

• preceding
• prior
• earliest
• early
• initial
• former
• precedent
• original

Choose the Right Synonym for previous

preceding, antecedent, foregoing, previous, prior, former, anterior mean being before.

preceding usually implies being immediately before in time or in place.

the preceding sentence

antecedent applies to order in time and may suggest a causal relation.

conditions antecedent to the revolution

foregoing applies chiefly to statements.

the foregoing remarks

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

former implies always a definite comparison or contrast with something that is latter.

the former name of the company

anterior applies to position before or ahead of usually in space, sometimes in time or order.

the anterior lobe of the brain

Examples of previous in a Sentence

She has a child from a previous marriage.

The two characters met in a previous chapter.

the previous owners of the house

Recent Examples on the Web

The conference changed its timekeeping policy in 2002 after a controversial last-second spike for Michigan State against Michigan the previous year. — Austin Meek, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026

Some of that January increase reflects workers who secured jobs during the final months of the previous year but delayed their start dates. — Tatiana Sataua, Fortune, 5 Sep. 2026

Oberlin’s team, the Yeomen, had finished 1–9 each of the previous two seasons. — Jesse Dougherty, New Yorker, 5 Sep. 2026

Serbia is formally seeking European Union entry but the effort has been stalled under Vucic due to democratic backsliding, including election irregularities in previous votes. — ABC News, 5 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin praevius leading the way, from prae- pre- + via way — more at way

First Known Use

1621, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing previous

• previous question
• previous to
• reverted to (is previous) form
• the last/previous couple of

Rhymes for previous

• devious

Kids Definition

previous

adjective

pre·​vi·​ous ˈprē-vē-əs 

: going before in time or order : preceding, prior

previously adverb