prior

¹

[prahy-er]

adjective

1. preceding in time or in order; earlier or former; previous.

   A prior agreement prevents me from accepting this.

   Synonyms: antecedent, anterior

2. preceding in importance or privilege.

noun

1. Informal.,  a prior conviction.

prior

²

[prahy-er]

noun

1. an officer in a monastic order or religious house, sometimes next in rank below an abbot.

2. a chief magistrate, as in the medieval republic of Florence.

Prior

³

[prahy-er]

noun

1. Matthew, 1664–1721, English poet.

prior

¹

/ ˈpraɪə /

adjective

1. (prenominal) previous; preceding

2. before; until

noun

1. statistics a prior probability

prior

²

/ ˈpraɪə /

noun

1. the superior of a house and community in certain religious orders

2. the deputy head of a monastery or abbey, ranking immediately below the abbot

3. (formerly) a chief magistrate in medieval Florence and other Italian republics

Prior

³

/ ˈpraɪə /

noun

1. Matthew. 1664–1721, English poet and diplomat, noted for his epigrammatic occasional verse

Other Word Forms

• priorly adverb
• priorship noun
• subpriorship noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of prior¹

First recorded in 1705–15; from Latin: “former, elder, superior” (adjective), “before” (adverb); akin to pre-, prime

Origin of prior²

First recorded before 1100; Middle English, late Old English, from Medieval Latin, Late Latin: “one superior in rank”; noun use of prior prior ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of prior¹

C18: from Latin: previous

Origin of prior²

C11: from Late Latin: head, from Latin (adj): previous, from Old Latin pri before

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. prior to, preceding; before.

   Prior to that time, buffalo had roamed the Great Plains in tremendous numbers.

Example Sentences

That event and prior raids brought panic into Oxnard classrooms, said Vanessa Ruiz, a mental health clinician with 14 years of experience.

From Los Angeles Times

It has not all been plain sailing, of course, since Howe's appointment or the takeover a few weeks prior.

From BBC

Wealthy Democratic businessman Stephen J. Cloobeck and Republican Riverside Sheriff Chad Bianco declined an invitation to participate in the forum, citing prior commitments.

From Los Angeles Times

As he did in his prior three at-bats, Ohtani struck out, taking a fastball down the middle, punching out in four-consecutive at-bats in a game for only the second time in his MLB career.

From Los Angeles Times

Photos show the statue bearing scratches and dents from its prior confiscation.

From Salon

Related Words

• above-mentioned www.thesaurus.com
• preceding 
• previous