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
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.
From hats to jerseys to bomber jackets, lots of the Blue Jays gear nodded to those previous World Series trips. Eric Koreen, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025 Parents who apologize and repair model emotional accountability—something previous generations often viewed as a loss of authority. Daniella Gray, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Oct. 2025 The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude. JSTOR Daily, 25 Oct. 2025 Cody, 40, is also father to Paisley, 13, from a previous relationship. Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 24 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for previous

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Previous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/previous. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on previous

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