previous
Coming before the one you are talking about.
previous in a sentence
- In the previous chapter, the dog had only just been found.
- Our previous house was much smaller, with no garden at all.
Try an 11+ style question
Verbal reasoning papers often ask about a word like this.
Which word is closest in meaning to previous?
- Alater
- Bfollowing
- Cearlier
- Dnext
Show the answer
C: earlier. The other three mean the opposite of previous.
Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to previous?
- Anext
- Bearlier
- Cpast
- Dformer
Show the answer
A: next. The other three mean nearly the same as previous.
Words that mean something similar
earlier, former, past
Words that mean the opposite
next, later, following
More words about time & change
- primitive: Very simple and from an early time, without modern comforts.
- procrastinate: To keep putting off something you should do now.
- prolong: To make something last longer.
- promote: To move someone up to a more important position.
- prompt: Quick and without delay.
- prosper: To do well and become successful or rich.
- punctual: Arriving or doing things exactly on time.
- reserve: To keep something back to use later, or to book it for someone.
More words to explore
Sitting the 11+ in Kent, Medway or Buckinghamshire?
Plain-English guides to each test, from the councils’ own pages: Kent Test · Medway Test · Bucks Secondary Transfer Test