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 Each of the banks posted rising hauls from net interest income on lower funding costs, while some of their metrics around credit quality actually improved from previous quarters. Hugh Son, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2025 Gold has seen historic gains in 2025, its more-than-50% surge surpassing previous volatile periods such as after the September 11 attacks, the 2008 financial crisis or even the Covid-19 pandemic. John Liu, CNN Money, 22 Oct. 2025 In Purdy's absence, Mac Jones, who had been branded as a bust over the previous couple of seasons, has filled in ably. Robert Marvi, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025 The previous seven happened in the Caribbean. Greg Norman , Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for previous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for previous
Adjective
  • In the preceding month, Gamestop also closed its NFT marketplace, just months after removing support for its NFT wallet.
    Nicholas Kitonyi, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025
  • Most of those were seized on Oct. 7, 2023, but others were taken hostage in the preceding decade, and a substantial number are no longer alive.
    Jerome Socolovsky, NPR, 19 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • This isn’t to justify those prior murders.
    JSTOR Daily, JSTOR Daily, 23 Oct. 2025
  • Meanwhile, organic sales in the Asia-Pacific region fell 10 percent, versus a 19 percent decline in the prior quarter, aided by improving trends in mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and South Korea.
    Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Evolito itself traces its roots to YASA’s early axial flux technology.
    Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2025
  • Brodie, whowas found guilty of violating American sanctions on Cuba in the early 2000s, was denied pardon by former President Joe Biden in 2023.
    Melanie Hicken, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • His initial coping mechanism was to throw his water bottle in frustration.
    Roshane Thomas, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
  • The items collect dust, and the space is rarely revisited after the initial setup until the holidays come around.
    Lauren Bengtson, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Since the city does not own the adjacent former Staples building, which Spirit Halloween is leasing, there are no plans for that building to be part of the redevelopment, said Middletown Vice Mayor Steve West.
    Victoria Moorwood, Cincinnati Enquirer, 23 Oct. 2025
  • After years of a 4-4-2 being the prevailing setup across Europe in the 1990s, former Manchester City assistant manager Juanma Lillo was an early exponent of the 4-2-3-1 system in the early 2000s during his time in Spain.
    Mark Carey, New York Times, 23 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • That’s because precedent changes in small but important ways all the time.
    Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2025
  • This adaptation demands re-conceiving large chunks of plot from the ground-up while retaining Liu’s themes, not to mention visualizing concepts with less precedent onscreen than the fantasy tropes Martin deployed and subverted.
    Alison Herman, Variety, 9 Mar. 2024
Adjective
  • While the show has since been rebooted to include the original cast's spouses and children, Polizzi said a lot of people refuse to see her as anything other than an early 2000s-era party girl.
    Hadley Hitson, Nashville Tennessean, 27 Oct. 2025
  • The series sticks with the timeline of Muschietti's movies rather than King's book, meaning the original Losers Club encounter with It takes place in 1989 rather than 1958, and the final battle in 2016 rather than 1985.
    Megan McCluskey, Time, 27 Oct. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Previous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/previous. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on previous

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!