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

Previously, Bevan said he was particularly upset that he had been the victim of a hit-and-run.

From BBC • Jul. 2, 2026

Previously, the company had to justify AI investments purely through internal operations, whereas rivals could point to their cloud-computing divisions.

From Barron's • Jul. 1, 2026

Previously, parents who borrowed through the federal loan program could borrow up to a school’s cost of attendance.

From MarketWatch • Jul. 1, 2026

Previously, Summers would have gone to the billing and operations team to investigate the issue.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 24, 2026

Previously, strangers knocked on Martin’s door with messages concerning routes, and once, news of a confirmed passenger.

From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead

Related Words

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