previously
Americanadverb
Etymology
Origin of previously
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."
Vocabulary lists containing previously
Academic Vocabulary Toolkit 1, Words 71-80
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Lesson 12
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Prefixes: pre-
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
About $231 million in previously planned cuts were never carried out.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 9, 2026
“The incremental cost may not be as high as feared, while the incremental high-margin revenue opportunity may be larger than we — and the Street — previously underwrote.”
From MarketWatch • Jul. 9, 2026
The new tranche includes modest income-tax reductions and a commitment to push ahead with previously debated tweaks to the German equivalent of Social Security.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 9, 2026
Skates, the MS for Fflint Wrecsam, has previously been interested in standing for the leadership but never formally went for the job.
From BBC • Jul. 9, 2026
An “epiphany,” in case you have yet to have one, is when someone encounters truths about life with which they were previously unfamiliar, thus sparking an abrupt change of perspective.
From "The Hidden Gallery" 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.
