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a priori

[ ey prahy-awr-ahy, -ohr-ahy, ey pree-awr-ee, -ohr-ee, ah pree-awr-ee, -ohr-ee ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

adjective

from a general law to a particular instance; valid independently of observation. Compare a posteriori ( def 1 ).
existing in the mind prior to and independent of experience, as a faculty or character trait. Compare a posteriori ( def 2 ).
not based on prior study or examination; nonanalytic:
an a priori judgment.

a priori

/ ˌeɪpraɪˈɒrɪtɪ; ɑː prɪˈɔːrɪ; eɪ praɪˈɔːraɪ /

logic relating to or involving deductive reasoning from a general principle to the expected facts or effects
logic known to be true independently of or in advance of experience of the subject matter; requiring no evidence for its validation or support
statistics See prior probability mathematical probability

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1645–55; < Latin: literally, from the one before. See a- ⁴, prior ¹

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C18: from Latin, literally: from the previous (that is, from cause to effect)

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