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
Garcia’s arrival looks likely to mean consequences for Barca’s previous first-choice goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen — and already the drum-beat of rumour, speculation and comment from friendly local media, aimed at persuading Ter Stegen to leave, has begun.
—Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 6 June 2025
The Lincoln’s grille and headlamps had all but doubled in height over the previous generation, with other exterior elements growing thicker and bolder along the transition.
—Will Sabel Courtney, Robb Report, 5 June 2025
So, the compatibility should extend to iPhone 11 and later, but based on previous trends, Apple might reserve the highest charging speed for the iPhone 17 series.
—Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 5 June 2025
Thus far in 2025, NEM has made a solid recovery, regaining a significant portion of its previous losses.
—Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 5 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for previous
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 6 June 2025
The Lincoln’s grille and headlamps had all but doubled in height over the previous generation, with other exterior elements growing thicker and bolder along the transition.
—Will Sabel Courtney, Robb Report, 5 June 2025
So, the compatibility should extend to iPhone 11 and later, but based on previous trends, Apple might reserve the highest charging speed for the iPhone 17 series.
—Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 5 June 2025
Thus far in 2025, NEM has made a solid recovery, regaining a significant portion of its previous losses.
—Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 5 June 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 9 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
previous
adjective
pre·vi·ous
ˈprē-vē-əs
previously
adverb
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share