previous

American  

[pree-vee-uhs] / ˈpri vi əs /

adjective

1. coming or occurring before something else; prior.

   the previous owner.

   Synonyms:

   foregoing , preceding , former

2. Informal.  done, occurring, etc., before the proper time; premature.

   Aren't you a little previous with that request?

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idioms

1. previous to,  before; prior to.

   Previous to moving here she lived in Chicago.

previous British  

/ ˈpriːvɪəs /

adjective

1. (prenominal) existing or coming before something else in time or position; prior

2. informal  (postpositive) taking place or done too soon; premature

3. before; prior to

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Other Word Forms

• previously adverb
• previousness noun

Etymology

Origin of previous

First recorded in 1615–25; from Latin praevius “going before,” equivalent to prae- pre- + vi(a) “way” + -us adjective suffix

Example Sentences

It will also enable claimants to launch a case on their own, as opposed to the previous system where both the claimant and the current holder of the disputed property had to agree to arbitration.

From Barron's

Hundreds of Brussels residents took to the streets Monday to protest as the failure of squabbling politicians to form a regional city government topped a previous 541-day Belgian record.

From Barron's

That surpasses the previous record set on June 22 this year.

From Barron's

“The IP address of this first successful request had made 32 previous unsuccessful attempts at this URL over the course of the morning,” according to the review.

From The Wall Street Journal

Manager Maria Stevenson said the reverse advent calendar idea in previous years has helped drive the donations for the Christmas hampers, which are sent out on 21 December.

From BBC

Related Words

• earlier
• past
• preceding