German word

vorangegangen

Pronunciation

IPA/foːɐ̯ˈangəˌgaŋən/

Meaning

  • adjectiveprevious

Example

Ich habe das vorangegangene Kapitel nicht verstanden.

I didn't understand the previous chapter.

Illustration for vorangegangen (previous)

More examples

Die vorangegangene Version der Software enthielt noch Fehler.

The preceding version of the software still contained bugs.

Core concept

A marker farther along a path that the present point reaches only afterward.

Common phrases

  • die vorangegangene Version

    preceding version

  • in den vorangegangenen Jahren

    in the preceding years

Similar words

vorherig: Immediately preceding another step, item, or passage.
früher: Belonging to an earlier period or former state.

Definition in German

Etwas, das zeitlich oder räumlich zuvor stattgefunden oder vorausgegangen ist.

Word origin

The adjective vorangegangen comes from vorangehen, whose parts voran ('forward') and gehen ('go') describe movement ahead and yield the sense of occurring earlier.

Usage tips

  • Vorangegangen is especially common in formal or explanatory prose, while vorherig or das vorherige often sounds more natural in everyday speech.

Other meanings

  • precedingadjective

Opposites

Related words

  • vorangehendprecedingadjective
  • vorangehenproceedverb

Word lists with this word