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

• antecedent
• anterior
• foregoing
• former
• precedent
• preceding
• prior

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 poll represents a decline in support for Harris since The Times’ previous poll in early October that showed her with a 49%-46% lead over Trump, while at least three surveys over the past week show Trump with a narrow advantage and six others found Harris leading. —Sara Dorn, Forbes, 26 Oct. 2024

That staggering death toll, which drew international attention to metro Phoenix's record-breaking temperatures due to climate change and urban development, was a 52% increase over the previous year, which was a 25% jump compared to the year before that. —Joan Meiners, The Arizona Republic, 26 Oct. 2024

Flashback: Obama was the last president to win the state of North Carolina and the only Democratic presidential candidate to do so in the previous 20 years. —Alexandria Sands, Axios, 26 Oct. 2024

Millennial spending in 2023 dropped a whopping 50 percent from the previous year. —Daniel Cassidy For Artnews, Robb Report, 26 Oct. 2024

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

Kids Definition

previous

adjective

pre·​vi·​ous ˈprē-vē-əs 

: going before in time or order : preceding, prior

previously adverb