Previously

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "Previously" is correct and usable in written English.
It is typically used to refer to something that happened before the current point in time or context. Example: "Previously, we discussed the importance of time management in our meetings."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Sport

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

The proposal does not go as far as banning EU migrants access to income-related benefits entirely for the first year in the UK, as had previously been suggested.

The Guardian

The alleged warning from Obeid would have came before – as Icac was previously told – a member of the former NSW energy minister Chris Hartcher's staff made an anonymous complaint levelling false allegations of corruption against Schott.

The Guardian

He was rewarded with a firm handshake from the official, who had previously awarded the goal but now disallowed it.

The Guardian - Sport

Email: [email protected] / Twitter: @gay_alcorn Helen Davidson Darwin reporter Helen most recently worked as an online journalist for SBS world news Australia and was previously a news and interactive journalist for news.com.au, where she live blogged major news events.

The Guardian

"All of our young players in Germany, they don't even know what happened previously but in England, especially the newspapers, they remind us how well we did or how frightening we are or how we always win no matter what happens and that makes us even stronger.

The Guardian - Sport

The Queensland government will submit a new application to the federal environment minister Greg Hunt for the dredging proposal, centred on the "T2" site, previously abandoned by BHP.

The Guardian

In a further statement issued on Sunday, Cormann said his comment was intended to point out that Shorten could not secure Labor support for Labor's own previously budgeted savings measures.

The Guardian

Anthony Fisher, the archbishop of Sydney, says his predecessor would return to Australia if asked, adding that Pell has conceded errors were made in the handling of child abuse cases and has apologised previously.

The Guardian

Labour MPs admit privately they are all deeply worried about the SNP surge, which allows the SNP to challenge for seats where it was previously a distant also-ran.

The Guardian

Shackled by the high threshold, pro-Kurdish candidates had previously run as independents in single seats to try to beat the 10% party barrier.

The Guardian

Saunders, who has previously managed Wrexham, Doncaster and Wolves, finished the season in interim charge of Crawley but was unable to prevent them from being relegated to League Two.

The Guardian - Sport

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "Previously" to clearly indicate an event, action, or state that occurred before the current context in your writing. It ensures clarity and avoids ambiguity.

Common error

Avoid using "Previously" when you should be using a past perfect tense. "Previously" simply indicates an earlier time, whereas the past perfect (had + past participle) indicates an action completed before another past action.

Linguistic Context

The adverb "Previously" functions primarily as an adjunct, modifying verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs to specify the timing of an event or state. Ludwig AI confirms that it's used to place something in the past relative to the present context, as seen in the examples provided.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

88%

Sport

6%

Formal & Business

6%

Less common in

Science

0%

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "Previously" is a versatile adverb indicating that something occurred at an earlier time, serving to provide temporal context to your writing. Ludwig AI confirms the phrase as grammatically correct and highly usable. It's most commonly found in news and media, leaning towards formal usage but acceptable in most contexts. Be sure to use it to clarify time sequences, avoiding tense confusion, and leverage alternatives for more stylistic flexibility.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

At an earlier time

This alternative is a more descriptive phrase, specifying the temporal aspect of "Previously".

Formerly

This alternative is a direct synonym, often used to describe a previous role or state.

Before

This alternative is a shorter, more direct synonym, suitable for less formal contexts.

Prior to this

This alternative is more formal and explicitly connects to a specific point in time.

In the past

This alternative emphasizes the completed nature of the action or state.

In earlier times

This alternative is more emphatic, suggesting a more distant past.

At one time

This alternative indicates a state that was true at a specific, unspecified point in the past.

Up until now

This alternative emphasizes the duration leading to the present.

Heretofore

This alternative is archaic and formal, rarely used in modern contexts.

In days gone by

This alternative is more figurative and evokes a sense of nostalgia.

FAQs

How to use "Previously" in a sentence?

"Previously" is an adverb used to indicate that something happened or was true at an earlier time. For example, "The information was "previously unknown"".

What can I say instead of "Previously"?

You can use alternatives like "before", "formerly", or "at an earlier time" depending on the context.

Which is correct, "Previously" or "Beforehand"?

"Previously" indicates a state or action that occurred at some point in the past, while "beforehand" indicates something done in preparation for a future event. They are not interchangeable.

What's the difference between "Previously" and "Recently"?

"Previously" refers to any point in the past, while "recently" refers to something that happened not long ago. The time frame is the key distinction.