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
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
The Heat, by making the playoffs, wound up at No. 15 in the draft order, with that selection now belonging to the Oklahoma City Thunder, to complete a previous trade obligation.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 13 May 2025
The weekend’s total box office revenue reached $23.9 million, a substantial dip from the previous frame, which was $65.6 million.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 12 May 2025
The body is 10 percent stiffer overall than the previous iteration, but up to 30 percent stiffer in specific areas, such as the suspension pickup points.
—Jonny Lieberman, Robb Report, 12 May 2025
With the BAFTAs being the last major ceremony to award TV series from the previous year, Baby Reindeer still exits its run with an incredible nomination-to-win ratio.
—Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 12 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for previous
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Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 13 May 2025
The weekend’s total box office revenue reached $23.9 million, a substantial dip from the previous frame, which was $65.6 million.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 12 May 2025
The body is 10 percent stiffer overall than the previous iteration, but up to 30 percent stiffer in specific areas, such as the suspension pickup points.
—Jonny Lieberman, Robb Report, 12 May 2025
With the BAFTAs being the last major ceremony to award TV series from the previous year, Baby Reindeer still exits its run with an incredible nomination-to-win ratio.
—Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 12 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for previous
Cite this Entry
“Previous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/previous. Accessed 17 May. 2025.
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previous
adjective
pre·vi·ous
ˈprē-vē-əs
previously
adverb
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