previous
- 01 B1 Intermediate
adj.happening or existing before something else.
adj.occurring or existing prior to something else in time or order.
Simple“The previous owner of the house left some old furniture in the attic.”
In context“The researcher noted that the previous findings were inconsistent with the data collected during the most recent phase of the study.”
UsageUsually placed before the noun it modifies.
PitfallIn the previous of the meeting, we had coffee. Before the meeting, we had coffee.Previous is an adjective, not a preposition. Use it to describe a noun (the previous meeting) rather than as a time marker on its own.
- 02 C1 Advanced
adj.acting or happening too quickly or before the right time.
adj.acting or occurring prematurely or with undue haste.
Simple“I think you were a bit previous in quitting your job before finding a new one.”
In context“The manager admitted he had been somewhat previous in announcing the merger before the final contracts were actually signed.”
Teacher's tipThis sense is primarily British and is used to describe someone's judgment or actions as being too hasty.
- 03 C2 Proficiency
n.a person's past record of crimes.
n.a record of prior criminal convictions or a history of similar negative behavior.
Simple“The police checked the suspect to see if he had any previous.”
In context“The prosecution argued that the defendant's previous made it highly likely that he was involved in the recent string of robberies.”
UsageUsed as an uncountable noun in this context.
Teacher's tipThis is a very specific British colloquialism; in formal or American contexts, use 'criminal record' or 'prior convictions'.
Usage previous years · previous studies · expenditure previous
From Latin praevius.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.