adjective
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(prenominal) existing or coming before something else in time or position; prior
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informal (postpositive) taking place or done too soon; premature
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before; prior to
Other Word Forms
- previously adverb
- previousness noun
Etymology
Origin of previous
First recorded in 1615–25; from Latin praevius “going before,” equivalent to prae- pre- + vi(a) “way” + -us adjective suffix
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.
A previous owner of the land had started work on a house in the early 2000s, but later abandoned the project leaving some low walls.
From BBC
Such systems “may determine pay by what the firm knows about how much a nurse was willing to accept for a previous assignment,” the report’s authors wrote, locking them into lower pay bands over time.
From MarketWatch
Sales had fallen in three of the previous four months before rebounding in February.
From MarketWatch
This failure follows previous World Cup qualification losses to Sweden in 2018 and North Macedonia in 2022, despite other Italian athletes’ recent success.
After all, internally in their financial planning, and externally in communication with supporters, the stated target from the previous summer had been a return to European competition, most likely through the Europa League.
From BBC
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.
