Happening or existing before the one you are talking about now. It refers to something earlier in time or order.
From Latin *praevius* meaning 'going before', from *prae-* 'before' and *via* 'way'. It came into English via Late Latin and French, keeping the sense of 'earlier on the way'.
‘Previous’ is like a bookmark pointing backward in time. It quietly builds timelines in your head: previous chapter, previous owner, previous life. When someone says 'as I mentioned previously', they’re asking your brain to rewind the tape.
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