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Recent vs Previous - What's the difference?

recent | previous |

As adjectives the difference between recent and previous

is that recent is having happened a short while ago while previous is prior; occurring before something else, either in time or order.

As a noun previous is

an existing criminal record; short for "previous convictions".

recent

English

Adjective

(more)
  • Having happened a short while ago.
  • * {{quote-magazine, year=2013, month=May-June, author= Katie L. Burke
    • , title= In the News , volume=101, issue=3, page=193, magazine=(American Scientist) , passage=Bats host many high-profile viruses that can infect humans, including severe acute respiratory syndrome and Ebola. A recent study explored the ecological variables that may contribute to bats’ propensity to harbor such zoonotic diseases by comparing them with another order of common reservoir hosts: rodents.}}
  • Up-to-date; not old-fashioned or dated.
  • Having done something a short while ago that distinguishes them as what they are called.
    • The cause has several hundred recent donors.
    I met three recent graduates at the conference.

    Derived terms

    * recently * recent memory

    Anagrams

    * ----

    previous

    English

    Alternative forms

    * (archaic)

    Adjective

    (-)
  • Prior; occurring before something else, either in time or order.
  • * Thomson
    • The dull sound previous to the storm, / Rolls o'er the muttering earth.
  • * {{quote-book, year=1963, author=(Margery Allingham)
    • , title=(The China Governess) , chapter=Foreword citation , passage=He stood transfixed before the unaccustomed view of London at night time, a vast panorama which reminded him […] of some wood engravings far off and magical, in a printshop in his childhood. They dated from the previous century and were coarsely printed on tinted paper, with tinsel outlining the design.}}
    He is no better than the previous Prime Minister.
  • (informal)  Premature; occurring too soon.
    • I thought that I had solved the problem, but I was a bit previous .

    Synonyms

    * former * late * old * See also

    Antonyms

    * future * following * next * succeeding

    Noun

    (-)
  • (informal, UK) An existing criminal record; short for "previous convictions".
    • It turned out the shoplifter had a lot of previous .
  • * November 2 2014 , Daniel Taylor, " Sergio Agüero strike wins derby for Manchester City against 10-man United," guardian.co.uk
    • For that Smalling will have to do his time grazing in the scapegoat’s paddock because his contribution here supplied hard evidence of a player lacking the football intelligence that is needed at the highest level. He has previous on that front and it is difficult to find any mitigation for the way he scythed down James Milner when the first rule for a defender on a yellow card is not to dive in unless it is absolutely necessary.

    Anagrams

    * *