preceding in time or in order; earlier or former; previous.
A prior agreement prevents me from accepting this.
preceding in importance or privilege.
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.
(prenominal) previous; preceding
before; until
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
First recorded in 1705–15; from Latin: “former, elder, superior” (adjective), “before” (adverb); akin to pre-, prime
First recorded before 1100; Middle English, late Old English, from Medieval Latin, Late Latin: “one superior in rank”; noun use of prior prior 1
Generally you should eat dinner prior to brushing your teeth. Use the adjective prior for things that exist earlier in time or that happen first in time or order. This is a formal word that is often used in legal language. A prior claim is a person's right to something that is considered more important or valuable because it came first. If you're looking for a less formal synonym, choose the word previous. Prior is from a Latin word with the same spelling.
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Revenue rose to $9.36 billion from $8.98 billion a year prior.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
Rippey, who had worked as Newsom’s appointments secretary, was married to Alex Tourk, the then-mayor’s close friend, campaign manager and prior deputy chief of staff, when the affair became public in 2007.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
That forecast was a bit more optimistic than a prior forecast for 4% to 5% growth.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
Revenue fell 4% in the second quarter, but is up slightly through June compared with a year prior.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
Willie appears in the painting even though he died three years prior in 1862.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
However, SAP cut its outlook for the year, citing a €100 million impact from the acquisition of data platforms Prior Labs and Dremio.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026
Prior to the development of a measles vaccine in the early 1960s, measles killed hundreds of children annually in the United States.
From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026
Prior to Addy’s scare, the most recent high-profile rattlesnake incident in California occurred in Butte County, when a man visiting from Idaho was bitten twice and was hospitalized for 12 days.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
Prior to 2023, the Justice Department considered a market with an HHI of between 1,500 and 2,500 “moderately concentrated.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
“The original purpose—you mean, what was in the Edith Prior video? That we should send people outside when the city has a large Divergent population?”
From "Allegiant" by Veronica Roth
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
