definitions

prior

1
[ prahy-er ]
/ ˈpraɪ ər /
||

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.

RELATED CONTENT

6 Words That Broke Through On The Big ScreenRead more in this article about some frequently asked questions and fun facts related to our definitions.
READ MORE
6 Words That Broke Through On The Big ScreenRead more in this article about some frequently asked questions and fun facts related to our definitions.
READ MORE

Nearby words

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

Idioms

    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-

SYNONYMS FOR prior

1 anterior, antecedent.

Related forms

pri·or·ly, adverb
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for priorly (1 of 3)

prior

1
/ (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 priorly (2 of 3)

prior

2
/ (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 priorly (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