previously

American  

[pree-vee-uhs-lee] / ˈpri vi əs li /

adverb

1. before now; earlier.

   The evidence now shows a strong likelihood that sea levels will rise more rapidly than previously thought.

   The author was previously managing editor of a multimedia lifestyle company that produced a magazine, website, and newsletters.

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Etymology

Origin of previously

previous ( def. ) + -ly

Explanation

The adverb previously is good for talking about something that happened in the past. If you've read a novel previously, you might just skim it before your book group meets to discuss it. When you talk about things that happened before, whether recently or in the distant past, the word previously can be helpful. You could mention at a job interview that before your current job, you were previously employed as a flight attendant, or tell a date that though you're single now, you were previously married to a famous movie star. Previously comes from the adjective previous, with its Latin root praevius, "going before," from prae, "before," and via, "road."

Example Sentences

Management admitted that previously implemented fare-price hike won’t be able to offset fuel-cost increase.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 25, 2026

The company has previously built 43 miles of federal wall in South Texas and also won a contract to construct sections of Gov. Greg Abbott’s state border project.

From Salon • May 25, 2026

It now remains to be seen how far his political separation from Faye would go, and what that would mean for Senegal, which previously drew praise for its youthful and vibrant leadership.

From BBC • May 25, 2026

City have never previously seen success like it.

From BBC • May 24, 2026

Galileo was pretty much the same person when he got the right results as he had been only a few days previously when he was still getting the wrong results.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

Related Words

• already
• formerly
• heretofore
• hitherto
• once
• then