previous to

preposition

Synonyms of previous tonext
: prior to, before

Synonyms of previous to

Relevance
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Examples of previous to in a Sentence

his passport arrived just previous to his trip
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Whereas any type of ALPR data sharing previous to Flock had to go through the National Crime Information Center, which does require a magistrate judge to look at the overall context of a situation and then issue a warrant to allow tracking. — Nilay Patel, The Verge, 15 Oct. 2026 See the top 10 At those intersections in particular, there were a high number of accidents previous to the roundabouts. — Susan Bromley, Freep.com, 28 Aug. 2026 The six Bakersfield locations hosted their grand openings three weeks previous to last weekend’s openings. — Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 27 May 2026 Court papers say the note was written previous to his suicide and in connection with an earlier apparent suicide attempt. — USA Today, 7 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for previous to

Word History

First Known Use

1698, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of previous to was in 1698

Rhymes for previous to

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Browse Nearby Words

previous question
previous to
previse
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Cite this Entry

“Previous to.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/previous%20to. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

previous to

preposition
: prior to, before
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