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adjective pre·vi·ous \ˈprē-vē-əs\

: existing or happening before the present time

: earlier in time or order

: immediately before in time or order

Full Definition of PREVIOUS

: going before in time or order : prior

: acting too soon : premature <somewhat previous in his conclusion>

— pre·vi·ous·ly adverb

— pre·vi·ous·ness noun

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Origin of PREVIOUS

Latin praevius leading the way, from prae- pre- + via way — more at way

First Known Use: 1625

Related to PREVIOUS

Synonyms: antecedent, anterior, foregoing, former, precedent, preceding, prior

Antonyms: after, ensuing, following, later, posterior, subsequent, succeeding

Synonym Discussion of PREVIOUS

preceding, antecedent, foregoing, previous, prior, former, anterior mean being before. preceding usually implies being immediately before in time or in place <the preceding sentence>. antecedent applies to order in time and may suggest a causal relation <conditions antecedent to the revolution>. foregoing applies chiefly to statements <the foregoing remarks>. previous and prior imply existing or occurring earlier, but prior often adds an implication of greater importance <a child from a previous marriage> <a prior obligation>. former implies always a definite comparison or contrast with something that is latter <the former name of the company>. anterior applies to position before or ahead of usually in space, sometimes in time or order <the anterior lobe of the brain>.