prior

1
[ prahy-er ]
/ ˈpraɪ ər /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR prior ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

preceding in time or in order; earlier or former; previous: A prior agreement prevents me from accepting this.
preceding in importance or privilege.

noun

Informal. a prior conviction.

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a creature, variously described as a serpent, lizard, or dragon, said to kill by its breath or look.
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Idioms for prior

    prior to, preceding; before: Prior to that time, buffalo had roamed the Great Plains in tremendous numbers.

Origin of prior

1
1705–15; < Latin: former, elder, superior (adj.), before (adv.); akin to prime, pre-

OTHER WORDS FROM prior

pri·or·ly, adverb

Words nearby prior

printout paper, printwheel, printworks, prinzmetal's angina, prion, prior, prior lien, prior probability, prior restraint, priorate, prioress

Definition for prior (2 of 3)

prior2
[ prahy-er ]
/ ˈpraɪ ər /

noun

an officer in a monastic order or religious house, sometimes next in rank below an abbot.
a chief magistrate, as in the medieval republic of Florence.

Origin of prior

2
before 1100; Middle English, late Old English < Medieval Latin, Late Latin: one superior in rank; noun use of prior prior1

OTHER WORDS FROM prior

pri·or·ship, nounsub·pri·or·ship, noun

Definition for prior (3 of 3)

Prior
[ prahy-er ]
/ ˈpraɪ ər /

noun

Matthew,1664–1721, English poet.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to prior

preceding, previous, anterior, antecedent, former, past, forward, precedent, ahead, before, foregoing, aforementioned, preexistent, preexisting

Example sentences from the Web for prior

British Dictionary definitions for prior (1 of 3)

prior1
/ (ˈpraɪə) /

adjective

(prenominal) previous; preceding
prior to before; until

noun

statistics a prior probability

Word Origin for prior

C18: from Latin: previous

British Dictionary definitions for prior (2 of 3)

prior2
/ (ˈpraɪə) /

noun

the superior of a house and community in certain religious orders
the deputy head of a monastery or abbey, ranking immediately below the abbot
(formerly) a chief magistrate in medieval Florence and other Italian republics

Word Origin for prior

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

British Dictionary definitions for prior (3 of 3)

Prior
/ (ˈpraɪə) /

noun

Matthew. 1664–1721, English poet and diplomat, noted for his epigrammatic occasional verse
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012