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Definition of "previous" []

  • Existing or occurring before something else in time or order; prior: children by a previous marriage. (adjective)
  • Informal Acting, occurring, or done too soon; premature. (adjective)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "previous" in a sentence
  • "Both of them have had a long association with Milton Colin had served previously on council in the term previous to the last one."
  • "At the announcement that Captain Mapes Dale, who was the military instructor at Colby Hall, was approaching, the boys who had attended the academy the term previous fell back in alarm."
  • "This may be wondered at, but the fact of the matter was that Sam, by hard work the term previous, had caught up to Tom, while Dick, because of being away on some business for his father at various times, had dropped a little behind."