previous

adjective

pre·​vi·​ous ˈprē-vē-əs How to pronounce previous (audio)
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
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 In 2022, the ADL tracked a 36% increase in antisemitic incidents from the previous year. USA TODAY, 26 Mar. 2024 The trial, involving allegations related to hush money paid during Trump's 2016 campaign to cover up marital infidelity claims, had been in limbo after his lawyers complained about a recent deluge of nearly 200,000 pages of evidence from a previous federal investigation into the matter. Compiled Bydemocrat-Gazette Stafffrom Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 26 Mar. 2024 Make sure to check the schedule for the live presentations with former astronauts, then tour the rocket garden to see previous mission vehicles. Jp Shaffer, Miami Herald, 26 Mar. 2024 Little Pearl’s previous dining space on the north side of the Main + Marketplace escalator is available for lease. Michael Deeds, Idaho Statesman, 26 Mar. 2024 During a previous episode, Colbert had joked that Prince William was having an affair and seemed to receive a mixed reaction from the audience. Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 26 Mar. 2024 Because Sunday-Wednesday is too tight a turnaround, each of the four teams playing on Christmas will play the previous Saturday. Sam Farmer, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2024 Related article Global carbon pollution hits record high even as renewables surge The company retired a previous target to reduce its carbon intensity by 45% by 2035. Reuters, CNN, 14 Mar. 2024 The previous day, the singer shared a teaser for the song, including an image of himself riding a motorcycle at night. Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 14 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'previous.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of previous was in 1621

Dictionary Entries Near previous

Cite this Entry

“Previous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/previous. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

previous

adjective
pre·​vi·​ous ˈprē-vē-əs How to pronounce previous (audio)
: going before in time or order : preceding, prior
previously adverb

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