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View synonyms for

prior

1

[ prahy-er ]

adjective

  1. preceding in time or in order; earlier or former; previous:

    A prior agreement prevents me from accepting this.

    Synonyms: ,

  2. preceding in importance or privilege.


noun

  1. Informal. a prior conviction.

prior

2

[ prahy-er ]

noun

  1. an officer in a monastic order or religious house, sometimes next in rank below an abbot.
  2. a chief magistrate, as in the medieval republic of Florence.

Prior

3

[ prahy-er ]

noun

  1. Matthew, 1664–1721, English poet.

Prior

1

/ ˈɪə /

noun

  1. PriorMatthew16641721MEnglishWRITING: poetPOLITICS: diplomat Matthew. 1664–1721, English poet and diplomat, noted for his epigrammatic occasional verse
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

prior

2

/ ˈɪə /

adjective

  1. prenominal previous; preceding
  2. prior to
    before; until
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. statistics a prior probability
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

prior

3

/ ˈɪə /

noun

  1. the superior of a house and community in certain religious orders
  2. the deputy head of a monastery or abbey, ranking immediately below the abbot
  3. (formerly) a chief magistrate in medieval Florence and other Italian republics
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Other Word Forms

  • o· adverb
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Word History and Origins

Origin of prior1

First recorded in 1705–15; from Latin: “former, elder, superior” (adjective), “before” (adverb); akin to pre-, prime

Origin of prior2

First recorded before 1100; Middle English, late Old English, from Medieval Latin, Late Latin: “one superior in rank”; noun use of prior prior 1
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Word History and Origins

Origin of prior1

C18: from Latin: previous

Origin of prior2

C11: from Late Latin: head, from Latin (adj): previous, from Old Latin pri before
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Idioms and Phrases

Idioms
  1. prior to, preceding; before:

    Prior to that time, buffalo had roamed the Great Plains in tremendous numbers.

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Lowrie had originally auditioned for the role of Ken Barlow prior to the show's launch, and appeared in the first episode at the age of 24.

From

Moakley told Salon that prior to assisting Nichols with website development, he wasn't familiar with the intricacies of how the U.S. distributes foreign aid and who it helps.

From

So that one was one that had been found during expeditions prior to my involvement.

From

People who have not been immunized against measles, either through vaccination or prior infection, are at risk of getting sick between seven and 21 days after exposure.

From

Perth Sheriff Court heard that he was struggling to cope with life outside of prison and had stolen the items to have a blow-out prior to his return to jail.

From

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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.

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