Origin: Latin prefix pre-
Previously has 2 different meanings across 1 category:
at an earlier time or formerly
"she had previously lived in Chicago"
"he was previously president of a bank"
"better than anything previously proposed"
"a previously unquestioned attitude"
"antecedently arranged"
First; beforehand, in advance.
"I previously arranged to meet you at the cafe before we even discussed our plans for today."
In plain English: Previously means something that happened before now.
"She previously lived in London before moving to New York."
Usage: Use previously to mean something that happened before now or earlier in time, not as a synonym for first or beforehand. It correctly describes an action completed in the past relative to the current moment.
Previously is formed by adding the suffix -ly to previous. This word entered English from Old French and originally meant "coming before," which remains its core meaning today.