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

The government has been highly critical of decisions taken by previous administrations.

From BBC

The new release zoomed past Scream 7, this year's previous biggest seller overall and also overtook Creed III in having the fastest start for a production by Amazon MGM Studios.

From BBC

"The previous results are quite promising in the preclinical context, but comprehensive pharmacological development, toxicological experiments, and clinical studies are needed to realize a possible application in humans," he says.

From Science Daily

The couple married in 2014 and had three children together, and he adopted one of her children from a previous marriage.

From The Wall Street Journal

Unlike many previous experiments, this system is visible to the naked eye and operates on a compact device about one foot tall that can be held in your hand.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• earlier
• past
• preceding