previous
adjective
pre·vi·ous
ˈprē-vē-əs 
1
: going before in time or order : prior
the previous owners
previous attempts had failed
reread the previous page
2
: acting too soon : premature
somewhat previous in his conclusion
previously
adverb
Physicists have constructed a pipette that dispenses a billionth of a trillionth of a liter, a droplet that's a thousand times as small as volumes previously achieved.
—
A. Cunningham
A. Cunningham
Previously, many mutations have been induced by harsh treatments such as X rays, UV light or chemicals.
—Kevin Struhl
Kevin Struhl
previousness
noun
Had I been capable of looking closer then, I might have asked myself why every kind of previousness miraculously survived there …
—Robyn Davidson
Robyn Davidson
Synonyms
Examples of previous in a Sentence
She has a child from a previous marriage.
The two characters met in a previous chapter.
the previous owners of the house
Recent Examples on the Web
As Metro ridership has gone up, so too has the number of assaults on its bus and train operators — 168 in 2023, a slight increase from the previous year.
—Rachel Uranga, Los Angeles Times, 19 Apr. 2024
In 2023, the company recorded revenue of $15.2 million — a 5 percent increase from the previous year.
—Natallie Rocha, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Apr. 2024
The two are also parents to six kids from previous relationships.
—Angel Saunders, Peoplemag, 19 Apr. 2024
The early aughts pop-punk rager gives Clarkson an opportunity to reassess her previous relationship.
—Shannon Carlin, TIME, 19 Apr. 2024
One person was taken to the hospital out of concern the event exacerbated a previous injury, the report said.
—Kelly Meyerhofer, Journal Sentinel, 19 Apr. 2024
Today’s vaccines have fewer side effects than previous iterations that were initially designed to combat smallpox, Weber said.
—Mary Ramsey, Charlotte Observer, 18 Apr. 2024
The number of new LLMs released globally in 2023 doubled compared to the previous year, according to the report.
—Sage Lazzaro, Fortune, 18 Apr. 2024
Wasik and Murphy’s previous book, Rabid, tackled the history of rabies, and Our Kindred Creatures, too, spends time on that dread disease.
—Ben Goldfarb, The Atlantic, 18 Apr. 2024
Rachel Uranga, Los Angeles Times, 19 Apr. 2024
In 2023, the company recorded revenue of $15.2 million — a 5 percent increase from the previous year.
—Natallie Rocha, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Apr. 2024
The two are also parents to six kids from previous relationships.
—Angel Saunders, Peoplemag, 19 Apr. 2024
The early aughts pop-punk rager gives Clarkson an opportunity to reassess her previous relationship.
—Shannon Carlin, TIME, 19 Apr. 2024
One person was taken to the hospital out of concern the event exacerbated a previous injury, the report said.
—Kelly Meyerhofer, Journal Sentinel, 19 Apr. 2024
Today’s vaccines have fewer side effects than previous iterations that were initially designed to combat smallpox, Weber said.
—Mary Ramsey, Charlotte Observer, 18 Apr. 2024
The number of new LLMs released globally in 2023 doubled compared to the previous year, according to the report.
—Sage Lazzaro, Fortune, 18 Apr. 2024
Wasik and Murphy’s previous book, Rabid, tackled the history of rabies, and Our Kindred Creatures, too, spends time on that dread disease.
—Ben Goldfarb, The Atlantic, 18 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'previous.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near previous
Cite this Entry
“Previous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/previous. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
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previous
adjective
pre·vi·ous
ˈprē-vē-əs
previously
adverb
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