previous

The word “previous” means coming before the current one, in time or order. In plain terms, the one that came right before this one.

“Previous” is pronounced PREE-veers (/ˈpɹi.vi.əs/ in IPA).

Here is “previous” used in a sentence: “Her previous job was in marketing, before she switched to teaching.”

Words with a similar meaning to “previous” include foregoing, former, late and old.

The opposite of “previous” — its antonyms — are following, future, next and succeeding.

“Previous” is an adjective.

The word “previous” comes from Latin. From Latin praevius, "going before.".

“Previous” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.

Both mean coming before, and they are often interchangeable. Previous is the more everyday word and simply means the one before. Prior sounds more formal and, followed by 'to', can mean before in time — 'prior to the meeting'. Prior can also imply greater importance, as in a prior commitment.

The opposite of previous is next or following — the one that comes after rather than before. Subsequent is a more formal alternative meaning the same thing. So the previous chapter is the one you just read, while the next or following chapter is the one still to come.

You might say, 'In my previous job, I worked from home,' referring to the job you held before this one. Other examples include 'the previous owner of the house' or 'as mentioned in the previous chapter.' In each, previous points back to the one immediately before the current one.