adv · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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Received-Pronunciation:/ˈpɹiːvi.əsli/
General-American:/ˈpɹivi.əsli/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:P R IY1 V IY0 AH0 S L IY0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adv
Meaning 1
First; beforehand, in advance.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: archaic, not-comparable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
adv
Meaning 2
At an earlier time; already.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
Examples
The discovery of a previously unknown species had taken place nearly two years previously.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adv
Meaning 3
Recapitulating the preceding episodes of a series.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
Topics: broadcasting, media, television
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
adverb
Meaning 4
at an earlier time or formerly
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
she had previously lived in Chicago
he was previously president of a bank
better than anything previously proposed
a previously unquestioned attitude
antecedently arranged
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: antecedently
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
Etymology tree English previous Proto-Indo-European *leyg-der. Proto-Germanic *līkąder. Proto-Germanic *-līkaz Proto-Germanic *-ê Proto-Germanic *-līkê Proto-West Germanic *-līkē Old English -līċe Middle English -ly English -ly English previously From previous + -ly.
Across languages
Translations
82 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Ahtna:
hwtsecʼa
— at an earlier time
Arabic:
قَبْلًا
(qablan)
— at an earlier time
Arabic:
قَبْل
(qabl)
— at an earlier time
Aramaic:
הידין
— at an earlier time
Armenian:
նախապես
(naxapes)
— at an earlier time
Armenian:
նախօրոք
(naxōrokʻ)
— at an earlier time
Armenian:
նախորդիվ
(naxordiv)
— at an earlier time
Bulgarian:
преди
(predi)
— at an earlier time
Bulgarian:
някога
(njakoga)
— at an earlier time
Catalan:
anteriorment
— at an earlier time
Catalan:
prèviament
— at an earlier time
Chinese Cantonese:
以前
(ji5 cin4)
— at an earlier time
Chinese Cantonese:
舊時 /旧时
(gau6 si4)
— at an earlier time
Chinese Mandarin:
以前
(yǐqián)
— at an earlier time
Chinese Mandarin:
先前
(xiānqián)
— at an earlier time
Corsican:
anteriormente
— at an earlier time
Czech:
dříve
— at an earlier time
Czech:
předtím
— at an earlier time
Danish:
før
— at an earlier time
Dutch:
tevoren
— at an earlier time
Dutch:
vroeger
— at an earlier time
Esperanto:
antaŭe
— at an earlier time
Finnish:
aikaisemmin
— at an earlier time
Finnish:
aiemmin
— at an earlier time
French:
autrefois
— at an earlier time
French:
auparavant
— at an earlier time
French:
antérieurement
— at an earlier time
French:
précédemment
— at an earlier time
Galician:
previamente
— at an earlier time
Georgian:
ადრე
(adre)
— at an earlier time
Georgian:
წინათ
(c̣inat)
— at an earlier time
German:
zuvor
— at an earlier time
German:
vorher
— at an earlier time
German:
früher
— at an earlier time
German:
ehemals
— at an earlier time
Greek:
προηγουμένως
(proïgouménos)
— at an earlier time
Hindi:
पहले
(pahle)
— at an earlier time
Hungarian:
azelőtt
— at an earlier time
Hungarian:
az előzőekben
— at an earlier time
Hungarian:
korábban
— at an earlier time
Icelandic:
áður
— at an earlier time
Indonesian:
dulu
— at an earlier time
Irish:
roimh ré
— at an earlier time
Italian:
precedentemente
— at an earlier time
Italian:
anteriormente
— at an earlier time
Italian:
in antecedenza
— at an earlier time
Italian:
antecedentemente
— at an earlier time
Italian:
in precedenza
— at an earlier time
Japanese:
予め
(arakajime)
— at an earlier time
Japanese:
以前
(izen)
— at an earlier time
Japanese:
予て
(kanete)
— at an earlier time
Japanese:
先に
(saki-ni)
— at an earlier time
Korean:
앞서
(apseo)
— at an earlier time
Central Kurdish:
لەمەوبەر
(lemewber)
— at an earlier time
Latin:
prius
— at an earlier time
Latin:
anteā
— at an earlier time
Low German:
fördem
— at an earlier time
Low German:
fördęm
— at an earlier time
Maltese:
dari
— at an earlier time
Old English:
furþum
— at an earlier time
Persian:
قبلا
(qablan)
— at an earlier time
Polish:
poprzednio
— at an earlier time
Portuguese:
antes
— at an earlier time
Portuguese:
anteriormente
— at an earlier time
Russian:
пре́жде
(préžde)
— at an earlier time
Russian:
ра́нее
(ráneje)
— at an earlier time
Russian:
ра́ньше
(ránʹše)
— at an earlier time
Sanskrit:
प्रथमम्
(prathamám)
— at an earlier time
Scottish Gaelic:
ro làimh
— at an earlier time
Serbo-Croatian:
prethodno
— at an earlier time
Serbo-Croatian:
претходно
— at an earlier time
Spanish:
anteriormente
— at an earlier time
Spanish:
previamente
— at an earlier time
Spanish:
con anterioridad
— at an earlier time
Swedish:
förut
— at an earlier time
Swedish:
tidigare
— at an earlier time
Urdu:
پہلے
(pahle)
— at an earlier time
Uzbek:
avval
— at an earlier time
Welsh:
o'r blaen
— at an earlier time
Welsh:
yn flaenorol
— at an earlier time
Dutch:
wat voorafging
— recapitulating the preceding episodes of a series
Hungarian:
az előző részek tartalmából
— recapitulating the preceding episodes of a series