prior
1[ prahy-er ]
/ ˈpraɪ ər /
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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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The rainy weather could not ________ my elated spirits on my graduation day.
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Idioms about prior
prior to, preceding; before: Prior to that time, buffalo had roamed the Great Plains in tremendous numbers.
OTHER WORDS FROM prior
pri·or·ly, adverbOther definitions 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
2before 1100; Middle English, late Old English <Medieval Latin, Late Latin: one superior in rank; noun use of priorprior1
OTHER WORDS FROM prior
pri·or·ship, nounsub·pri·or·ship, nounOther definitions 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. 2022
How to use prior in a sentence
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
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