A previous event or thing is one that happened or existed before the one that you are talking about.
I'm a lot happier than I was in my previous job.
He has no previous convictions.
2. adjective
You refer to the period of time or the thing immediately before the one that you are talking about as the previous one.
It was a surprisingly dry day after the rain of the previous week.
He recalled exactly what Bob had told him the previous night.
Synonyms: preceding, past, prior, foregoing More Synonyms of previous
More Synonyms of previous
previous in British English
(ˈpriːvɪəs)
adjective
1. (prenominal)
existing or coming before something else in time or position; prior
2. (postpositive) informal
taking place or done too soon; premature
3. previous to
Derived forms
previously (ˈpreviously)
adverb
previousness (ˈpreviousness)
noun
Word origin
C17: from Latin praevius leading the way, from prae before + via way
previous in American English
(ˈpriviəs)
adjective
1.
occurring before in time or order; prior
2. US, Informal
too soon; premature
Idioms:
previous to
SYNONYMY NOTE: previous generally implies a coming before in time or order [a previous encounter]; prior adds to this a connotation of greater importance or claim as a result of being first[a prior commitment]; preceding, esp. when used with the definite article, implies a coming immediately before [the preceding night]; antecedent adds to the meaning of , previous a connotation of direct causal relationship with what follows [events antecedent to the war]; forego1 verb transitive applies specif. to something previously said or written [the foregoing examples]; former1 always connotes comparison, stated or implied, with what follows (termed latter)
OPPOSITE: following
Derived forms
previously (ˈpreviously)
adverb
Word origin
L praevius < prae- (see pre-) + via, way (see via)
Examples of 'previous' in a sentence
previous
This scenario is not what the previous government hoped for.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
What he needs to do is understand what went wrong with the previous ones.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Look at the price on previous days to make sure you are getting a good deal.
The Sun (2016)
The security screening facility will be three times the size of the previous one.
Computing (2010)
For years the previous government and the last mayor buried their heads in the sand while the situation got worse.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
No previous experience needed, no legal knowledge required and no tricky exams.
The Sun (2016)
He is the absolute love of my life - which is my excuse for my sorry behaviour in my previous marriage.
The Sun (2016)
His only previous coaching experience was with Birmingham City women.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
What do previous volunteers say about their experiences?
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Six previous grade one chases had brought a clutch of silver and bronze medals.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
She and his sons and daughter by the previous marriages all survive him.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
One said there had been an argument on the taxi rank the previous night.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Open the chamber to insert a capsule and the previous one drops into an internal bin.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
He is survived by his wife and a son and a daughter from a previous marriage.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
He had been in the thick of fighting the previous night.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Everything about the previous hour suggested they would do it.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
In one raid the previous winter a shell splinter had punctured his lung.
Len Deighton Bomber
Russian oil production is heading for its first decline in a decade after recording impressive increases in previous years.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
It marred an otherwise fine performance from the centreback, who had been dropped the previous week.
The Sun (2009)
Don't use them as a substitute for the poor sleep you had the previous night.
Mayes, Kathleen Beat Jet Lag - arrive alert and stay alert (1991)
On the previous day England had struggled just a little.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
That his players could not impact upon a team who had won just one of their previous eight games will be particularly troubling.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
It was a loss-making business and had seen a worrying decline in passenger numbers in the previous few years.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
The most notable feature in the report was a huge leap in income and capital gains tax in April compared with the previous year.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
During the previous few weeks, he had been thinking a lot about the Internet.
John Cassidy DOT.CON (2001)
That experience, and the experiences of the previous week, taught us something about both small cars and small churches.
Christianity Today (2000)
Crude oil and LNG imports were up by more than 18.4 per cent on the previous year.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
In other languages
previous
British English: previous /ˈpriːvɪəs/ ADJECTIVE
A previous event or thing is one that occurred before the one you are talking about.
She has a child from a previous marriage.
American English: previous
Arabic: سَابَق
Brazilian Portuguese: anterior
Chinese: 早先的
Croatian: prethodni
Czech: předchozí
Danish: tidligere
Dutch: vorig
European Spanish: previo
Finnish: edellinen
French: précédent
German: vorhergehend
Greek: προγενέστερος
Italian: precedente
Japanese: 以前の
Korean: 이전의
Norwegian: forrige
Polish: poprzedni
European Portuguese: anterior
Romanian: anterior
Russian: предыдущий
Latin American Spanish: previo
Swedish: föregående
Thai: ครั้งก่อน
Turkish: önceki
Ukrainian: попередній
Vietnamese: trước
All related terms of 'previous'
previous to
before; prior to
previous job
A job is the work that someone does to earn money.
previous decade
A decade is a period of ten years, especially one that begins with a year ending in 0, for example 1980 to 1989.
previous forecast
A forecast is a statement of what is expected to happen in the future , especially in relation to a particular event or situation.
previous question
(in the House of Commons ) a motion to drop the present topic under debate , put in order to prevent a vote
previous research
Research is work that involves studying something and trying to discover facts about it.
previous relationship
A relationship is a close connection between two people, especially one involving romantic or sexual feelings.