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.

---

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

Kevin Warsh, now the Federal Reserve chairman, has previously made that case.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 25, 2026

US developers have previously accused Chinese competitors of using distillation attacks to train their models to rival American AI technology at a fraction of the cost.

From BBC • Jun. 25, 2026

Helen Miller, director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies think tank, previously said the measures would lead to some savings, but estimated they would equate to an "average saving of around £10 per UK household".

From BBC • Jun. 24, 2026

That’s more than double the $10 billion target South Korean media had previously identified.

From Barron's • Jun. 24, 2026

Without previously communicating with me, he had, in concert with Elizabeth, arranged that Clerval should join me at Strasburgh.

From "Frankenstein" by Mary Shelley

Related Words

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