# previous

Pronunciation: say "PREE-vee-uhs" US /ˈpɹi.vi.əs/, UK /ˈpɹiː.vɪəs/

## Adjective

1. Occurring or existing before something else, either in time or in order; prior.
   - Simple: Happening or coming before something else in time or order.
   - _The previous chapter explains how the experiment was set up._
   - _Unlike previous attempts, this launch went off without a hitch._
2. Acting or occurring before the proper time; premature. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: Acting or happening too soon, before the right time.
   - _Booking the celebration dinner before the job offer had even arrived was, as her mother put it, a bit previous._
   - _Aren't you being a little previous, packing your bags for a trip that hasn't been approved yet?_

## Noun

3. A past record of wrongdoing or trouble, such as criminal convictions, a habit of similar behavior, or earlier clashes with someone. *(colloquial, UK)*
   - Simple: A history of doing bad things or getting into trouble before, such as crimes or old fights with someone.
   - _The minister has previous for promising reforms that never arrive._
   - _Nobody was shocked when the airline lost his bag again. It has previous._

## Origin

From Latin praevius.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/previous (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).