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
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Lesson 12
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Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Prefixes: pre-
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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.
Crabb previously clinched a Manhattan Beach Pier bronze plaque, but it was Benesh’s first time winning the open.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026
Director of football operations Damian Vidagany had previously confirmed Martinez would stay at Villa Park but he is now more likely to depart before the transfer deadline.
From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026
South Korea's defence ministry said the joint drills would "proceed as previously notified and scheduled" when asked about Trump's post.
From Barron's ● Aug. 16, 2026
He previously was the solicitor general of Arkansas and a lawyer at Walmart.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
Those in the crowd who had not noticed them previously now watch in wonder.
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
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.
