| Main Entry: | |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | former, prior |
| Synonyms: | antecedent, anterior, earlier, erstwhile, ex, foregoing, one-time, past, precedent, preceding, quondam, sometime |
| Notes: | preceding means 'occurring immediately before the time of the utterance,' while previous means 'occurring at some time before the utterance' |
| Antonyms: | current, future, later, present |
| Main Entry: | ahead |
| Part of Speech: | adverb |
| Definition: | in front or advance of |
| Synonyms: | advanced, advancing, ahead, along, ante, antecedently, at an advantage, at the head, before, beforehand, earlier, first, fore, foremost, forward, forwards, in the foreground, in the lead, leading, on, onward, onwards, precedent, precedently, preceding, previous, progressing, to the fore |
| Antonyms: | behind |
| Main Entry: | antecedent |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | prior |
| Synonyms: | anterior, earlier, foregoing, former, past, precedent, preceding, precursory, preliminary, previous |
| Antonyms: | after, following |
| Main Entry: | anterior |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | beginning, prior |
| Synonyms: | antecedent, foregoing, former, past, precedent, preceding, previous |
| Notes: | anterior/ventral means 'front, situated at the front' and posterior/dorsal means 'rear, situated at the rear' |
| Antonyms: | ending, posterior, subsequent |
| Main Entry: | back |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | from earlier time |
| Synonyms: | delayed, elapsed, former, overdue, past, previous |
| Antonyms: | future |
| Main Entry: | before |
| Part of Speech: | adverb |
| Definition: | earlier |
| Synonyms: | afore, aforetime, ahead, ante, antecedently, anteriorly, back, before present, ere, fore, former, formerly, forward, gone, gone by, heretofore, in advance, in days of yore, in front, in old days, in the past, past, precendently, previous, previously, since, sooner, up to now |
| Antonyms: | after, afterward, behind, later |
| Main Entry: | beforehand |
| Part of Speech: | adjective, adverb |
| Definition: | early |
| Synonyms: | advanced, ahead, ahead of time, already, ante, antecedently, before, before now, earlier, fore, in advance, in anticipation, precedently, precocious, previous, previously, sooner |
| Antonyms: | after, afterward, behind, later |
| Main Entry: | bygone |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | in the past |
| Synonyms: | ancient, antiquated, archaic, belated, dated, dead, defunct, departed, down memory lane, erstwhile, extinct, forgotten, former, gone, gone by, in oblivion, late, lost, of old, of yore, old-fashioned, old-time, olden, oldfangled, one-time, out-of-date, previous, quondam, sometime, vanished, water over the dam, water under the bridge |
| Antonyms: | modern, new, recent |
| Main Entry: | early |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | in the beginning |
| Synonyms: | a bit previous, aboriginal, ancient, antecedent, antediluvian, antiquated, brand-new, budding, early bird, fresh, initial, new, original, preceding, premier, prevenient, previous, primal, prime, primeval, primitive, primordial, prior, pristine, proleptical, raw, recent, undeveloped, young |
| Antonyms: | late |