previous
gb/pɹˈiviəs/ us/pɹˈiviəs/
A2
English
~ 900
előzetes, előző, előtt, korábbi
A2
1
Usage pattern:
previous [event/experience/meeting/day]
I couldn't attend the previous meeting due to illness.
Betegség miatt nem tudtam részt venni az előző megbeszélésen.
The previous owner of the house left some furniture behind.
A ház előző tulajdonosa hátrahagyott néhány bútort.
She learned from her mistakes in the previous attempt.
Our previous conversation helped me understand your point.
Please refer to the previous chapter for more details.
Learner examples
I met him at the previous party.
Az előző bulin találkoztam vele.
The previous lesson was very hard.
Az előző lecke nagyon nehéz volt.
We talked about it in the previous class.
I visited London in the previous year.
The shop was closed on the previous day.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'previous' with 'former'. 'Previous' refers to something immediately before in sequence or time, while 'former' often means 'from an earlier time' but not necessarily immediately before.
Meaning
Happening earlier or before
Collocations
previous experience
|previous meeting
|previous day
|previous year
|previous owner
Synonyms
earlier (More conversational and slightly less formal.)
|
prior (More formal or official-sounding.)
Antonyms
next (Refers to the one immediately following in time or order.)
|
subsequent (Formal term meaning coming after something else.)
Themes
time
|sequence
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Happening or existing before something else in time or order.
Occurring or existing before the time, event, or thing mentioned.
Grammar
Dictionary form
previous
IPA
GB/pɹˈiviəs/
US/pɹˈiviəs/
Syllables & stress
pre - vi - ous (3 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (pre)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: previous
Word family
Core family
previously
adverb B1
Negative and opposite forms
next
adjective A1
following
adjective
Expressions
previous to
1/pɹˈiviəs tə/
fixed phrase
Before in time compared to
Before a certain time or event.
Examples
- Previous to joining the company, she worked as a teacher.
- The law was different previous to this change.