prior
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prior¹
- /ˈpɹaɪ.ə/ UK
- /ˈpɹaɪ.(ə)ɹ/ Canada, US
- /ˈpɹɑe.ə/ Australia
- /ˈpɹaɪ.ə/ New Zealand
- [ˈpɹɑe̯.ə] New Zealand
Rhymes with -aɪə(ɹ)
Where it comes from
The adjective is a learned borrowing from Latin prior (“earlier, former, previous, prior; in front; (figurative) better, superior”), from Proto-Italic *priōs (“earlier, previous”, literally “more before”), ultimately from *pri (“before”) (from Proto-Indo-European *pró (“leading to, toward”) and its etymon *per- (“before, in front; first”)) + *-jōs (suffix forming comparative adjectives). Doublet of before, fore, and former.
The adverb and noun are derived from the adjective.
adjective
-
Coming before in order or time; earlier, former, previous.
His prior residence was smaller than his current one.
Similar: advance, antecedent, anterior, earlier, erstwhile, ex, foregone, former, hitherto, old, olden, past
- More important or significant.
- Chiefly in prior probability: of the probability of an event: determined without knowledge of the occurrence of other events that bear on it, before additional data is collected.
adverb more prior · most prior
noun priors
-
A prior probability distribution, that is, one determined without knowledge of the occurrence of other events that bear on it, before additional data is collected.
Opposite: posterior
-
In the rationalsphere: a belief supported by previous evidence or experience that one can use to make inferences about the future.
During each of these touchpoints, I'm asking myself where and how my thesis on each holding could be wrong. I'm checking each data point as it comes in against my priors. I'm comparing management behavior to what I would be doing if I were in their shoes.
Opposite: posterior
-
A previous arrest or criminal conviction on someone's criminal record.
And a little later we get the routine report on his prints from Washington, and he's got a prior back in Indiana, attempted hold-up six years ago.
Similar: antecedent
prior²
- /ˈpɹaɪ.ə/ UK
- /ˈpɹaɪ.(ə)ɹ/ Canada, US
- /ˈpɹɑe.ə/ Australia
- /ˈpɹaɪ.ə/ New Zealand
- [ˈpɹɑe̯.ə] New Zealand
Rhymes with -aɪə(ɹ)
Where it comes from
From Middle English priour, prior (“head or deputy head of a monastery or other religious house; predecessor; superior”), from Old English prior, from Anglo-Norman priour, prior, priur, and Old French prior, priur (modern French prieur), and directly from their etymon Latin prior (“ancestor; predecessor”) (whence Late Latin prior (“superior of a religious house or order; abbot; deputy abbot; head of a guild”)), a noun use of prior (“former, previous, prior”, adjective): see etymology 1.
noun priors · priour
- In an abbey, the person ranking just after the abbot, appointed as his deputy; a prior claustral. It is not yet an hundred yere a goe, ſince that ſame mayſter doctour was butler in the ſame houſe, whereof I was maiſter and praiour: […]
- The head of a priory (“a monastery which is usually a branch of an abbey”), or some other minor or smaller monastery; a prior conventual.
- The head friar of a house of friars.
- The head of the Arrouaisian, Augustinian, and formerly Premonstratensian religious orders.
- An honorary position held by a priest in some cathedrals. [I]t hath appertained to the Archbishops of Canterbury and York for the space of four hundred years or thereabouts to have spiritual jurisdiction over all your Grace's subjects dwelling within the provinces; […] in the meantime of vacation the same privilege resteth in the churches of Canterbury and
- A chief magistrate of the Republic of Florence (1115–1569) in what is now Italy. [F]irſt of all among themſelves of the ancienteſt they chuſe three heads or chiefs vvhich they call Priors; and alſo of the youngeſt among them they chuſe tvvo vvho perform the office of Secretaries. The Priors ſit dovvn, having before them a table upon vvhich are placed tvvo balloting boxes of that
- The elected head of a guild of craftsmen or merchants in some countries in Europe and South America.
- A person who is the earliest or most prominent in a field; the chief.
- The head of a company.
Prior³
Where it comes from
From Middle English Prior, Priur (surname), from Middle English prior, priour (“prior”). More at prior.
proper noun Pryor
- A surname originating as an occupation for someone employed by a prior.
- An unincorporated community in Douglas County, Missouri, United States.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: antecedent, preceding, anterior, prev, foregoing, precede, aforementioned, previous, beforehand, early, earlier, precursor, previously, before, preset, already
Translations
Every language
adj coming before in importance, order, or time — see also earlier, former, previous, anterior, antecedent, precedent
| 日本語 | 先の saki no, 先んずる sakinzuru, 優先する yūsen suru |
|---|---|
| 中文 | 事前 shìqián, 預先 /预先 yùxiān |
| Português | prévio |
| Français | préalable |
| Deutsch | vorausgehend, früher, vorherig |
| Italiano | previo |
| Română | înainte de, dinainte |
| Русский | предше́ствовавший predšéstvovavšij, предше́ствующий predšéstvujuščij, пре́жний préžnij |
adj of the probability of an event: determined without knowledge of the occurrence of other events that bear on it
| 한국어 | 사전 sajeon |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 事前 jizen |
| 中文 | 先驗 /先验 xiānyàn |
| Português | a priori |
| Français | a priori |
| Deutsch | a priori |
| Italiano | a priori |
| Русский | априо́рный apriórnyj |
noun previous arrest or criminal conviction on someone’s criminal record
| Español | antecedentes |
|---|---|
| 中文 | 前科 qiánkē |
| Français | antécédents, casier (judiciaire) |
| Deutsch | Vorstrafe |
| Română | antecedente |
Talk about this word "prior." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/prior. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. prior. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/prior "prior." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/prior.Cite this
@misc{prior_2026,
title = {prior},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/prior},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
