previous

Existing or occurring before something else in time or order; prior.

Acting, occurring, or done too soon; premature or hasty.

Going before in time; being or occurring before something else; earlier; antecedent; prior.

Previously to; before (previous being used adverbially, and with the preposition to equivalent to a simple preposition, before). Compare prior to, in a like loose use.

Synonyms Previous, Preceding, Precedent, Anterior, Prior, Former, Foregoing, Antecedent. All these words have lost their original application to space, and now apply only to that which goes before in time, except anterior, which may apply also to space, as the anterior part of the brain, and preceding, which as a participle still primarily applies to space, but as an adjective generally expresses order in time. Preceding means immediately before; the others may mean the same. Precedent often applies to that which has to go before in order to the existence or validity of that which follows.