adjective
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(prenominal) existing or coming before something else in time or position; prior
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informal (postpositive) taking place or done too soon; premature
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before; prior to
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of previous
First recorded in 1615–25; from Latin praevius “going before,” equivalent to prae- pre- + vi(a) “way” + -us adjective suffix
Explanation
Previous means the one that just came before. For instance, the previous sentence explained the meaning of the word previous. With previous, you first see that the prefix pre meaning "before." The second part of the word, vius, — think via — means "road," so you’re talking about the road, or thing, before. Previous, though, can be used with people, or anything else too. You will know right away if the previous tenants had cats. Do you ever wonder what you were in a previous life? Rivers are at flood stage from the previous two rain storms.
Vocabulary lists containing previous
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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The Language of Standardized Tests, List 2
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The SAT: Language of the Test, List 5
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Based on a review of existing scientific literature, the researchers found no previous reports of the same BFAs occurring in mammalian excretions or secretions.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 20, 2026
Stocks and other assets fall into a “bear market” once they close at least 20% below a previous record high.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 20, 2026
Bitcoin had lost nearly half its value over the previous year.
From Slate ● Sep. 20, 2026
Claudio Ranieri lasted just 106 days in charge, while Felix Magath was sacked in September 2014, albeit having been appointed the previous season.
From BBC ● Sep. 20, 2026
Within minutes of waking, the tangle of problems that had flummoxed Penelope so thoroughly the previous evening had somehow sorted themselves into neat skeins of wool, as it were.
From "The Unseen Guest" by Maryrose Wood
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
