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.
It’s a true crime story on some level but Goode says the series is more layered and complex than his previous projects.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
A previous version of this article originally appeared on WBAI.
From Salon ● Aug. 6, 2026
The skepticism also extended beyond data centers, factoring in previous economic development promises that never quite lived up.
From Slate ● Aug. 6, 2026
Another patient, a 65-year-old veteran whose experience was chronicled in a case study published in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry this spring, fed ChatGPT the results of two previous memory tests.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
Along a front of some 250 miles, German soldiers did an about-face and started to retrace their steps over ground won in bitter fighting during the previous two weeks.
From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman
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.
