English Explanatory Dictionary

prior

English dictionary entry

Meanings

adj
  1. Coming before in order or time; earlier, former, previous.
  2. More important or significant.
  3. 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.
adv
  1. Chiefly followed by to: in advance, before, previously.
noun
  1. 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.
  2. In the rationalsphere: a belief supported by previous evidence or experience that one can use to make inferences about the future.
  3. A previous arrest or criminal conviction on someone's criminal record.
noun
  1. A high-ranking member of a religious house or religious order.
  2. In an abbey, the person ranking just after the abbot, appointed as his deputy; a prior claustral.
  3. 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.
  4. The head friar of a house of friars.
  5. The head of the Arrouaisian, Augustinian, and formerly Premonstratensian religious orders.
  6. An honorary position held by a priest in some cathedrals.
  7. A chief magistrate of the Republic of Florence (1115–1569) in what is now Italy.
  8. The elected head of a guild of craftsmen or merchants in some countries in Europe and South America.
  9. A person who is the earliest or most prominent in a field; the chief.
  10. The head of a company.
name
  1. A surname originating as an occupation for someone employed by a prior.
  2. An unincorporated community in Douglas County, Missouri, United States.

Pronunciation

/ˈpɹaɪ.ə/ /ˈpɹaɪ.(ə)ɹ/ En-us-prior.ogg /ˈpɹɑe.ə/ [ˈpɹɑe̯.ə]

Word forms

prior more prior most prior priors priour Pryor

Etymology

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.

Synonyms

advance antecedent anterior earlier erstwhile ex foregone former hitherto old olden past preceding precedent previous prior quondam sometime used-to-be whilom ago dean provost

Antonyms

posterior

Related words

a priori priority priory

Derived words

hyperprior priorable prior art priorate prior authorization prioristic prior knowledge priorly prior probability prior restraint prior to recognition of prior learning revise one's priors update one's priors alien prior Ditton Priors grand prior great prior Hurstbourne Priors Jeffreys prior prioracy prioral prior claustral prior conventual prioress priorship Salford Priors Shaugh Prior Stoke Prior subprior Swaffham Prior Priorian

Translations

Finnish: priori Finnish: priorijakauma
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