Prior Definition
prīər
priori, priors
adjective
Preceding in time; earlier; previous; former.
Webster's New World
Preceding in order or importance; preferred.
A prior choice.
Webster's New World
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
noun
priors
The head of a priory or other religious house.
Webster's New World
In an abbey, the person in charge next below the abbot.
Webster's New World
One of the ruling magistrates of the medieval Italian republic of Florence.
American Heritage
(US slang) A previous arrest or criminal conviction on someone's record. [from 19th c.]
Wiktionary
(statistics) In Bayesian inference, a prior probability distribution. [from 20th c.]
Wiktionary
adverb
(colloquial) Previously.
The doctor had known three months prior.
Wiktionary
idiom
prior to
- before in time
Webster's New World
Other Word Forms of Prior
Noun
Singular:
prior
Plural:
priorsIdioms, Phrasal Verbs Related to Prior
Origin of Prior
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Middle English priour from Old English Old French prior both from Medieval Latin from Latin superior per1 in Indo-European roots
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
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Latin prior2
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
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From Latin prior
From Wiktionary
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