someone or something that existed before or that you had before► previous the previous person or thing is the one that existed just before now or before the time you are talking about: · The car's previous owner didn't take very good care of it.· Please ignore my previous instructions.
► last the last thing or person is the one that you had just before now, or the one that existed just before now: · The last apartment we lived in was much smaller than this one.· Beth broke up with her last boyfriend because he drank too much.
► ex-: ex-wife/ex-boyfriend/ex-soldier etc someone who used to be someone's wife, used to be a soldier etc, but is not any more: · Her dad's an ex-policeman.· Lydia is still friends with her ex-husband.
► old: somebody's old job/car/girlfriend/boss etc the job, car etc that someone had before the one they have now: · The new stadium is much bigger than the old one.· I saw Phil with one of my old girlfriends.· We all liked the old teacher better.
► the one before the person or thing that existed before the one you have just mentioned: · I didn't enjoy Spielberg's last film but I thought the one before was all right.· Each year, the convention is a little larger than the one before.
► former formal use this especially to talk about someone who used to have a particular job or position but does not any more: · Her former husband now lives in Houston.· Weinberger was an advisor to former president Ronald Reagan.
► predecessor formal someone's predecessor is the person who had the same job before them: · Vandenberg has been a more active director than his predecessor.· Sally's predecessor had warned her about Nick, one of the company vice-presidents.
► precursor formal someone whose ideas or style are later used by another more famous person, or an organization, movement or machine that later develops into one that is more important: precursor of/to: · The abacus was the precursor of the modern electronic calculator.· The Office of Strategic Services was the precursor of the CIA.
► forerunner the first person, organization, machine etc that existed before the one that exists now and that the one that exists now is based on: forerunner of: · The P-50 is a forerunner of today's supersonic jet.· Hansen played in the American Basketball League, a forerunner of the NBA.
1someone or something that existed before something similar that developed or came laterforerunner of
Babbage’s engine was the forerunner of the modern computer.2a sign or warning that something is going to happen