prior

1 of 2

adjective

pri·​or ˈprī(-ə)r 

1

: earlier in time or order

2

: taking precedence (as in importance)

priorly adverb

prior

2 of 2

noun

plural priors

1

a

: the superior ranking next to the abbot of a monastery

b

: the superior of a house or group of houses of any of various religious communities

2

US law enforcement, informal : a previous instance of arrest or conviction for a crime

He had been told that burglary, like auto theft, rarely drew a state prison term, unless you had lots of priors.

—Joseph Wambaugh

Synonyms

Adjective

• arch
• big
• capital
• cardinal
• central
• chief
• dominant
• first
• foremost
• grand
• great
• greatest
• highest
• key
• leading
• main
• master
• number one
• No. 1
• numero uno
• overbearing
• overmastering
• overriding
• paramount
• predominant
• preeminent
• premier
• primal
• primary
• principal
• sovereign
• sovran
• supreme

Choose the Right Synonym for prior

preceding, antecedent, foregoing, previous, prior, former, anterior mean being before.

preceding usually implies being immediately before in time or in place.

the preceding sentence

antecedent applies to order in time and may suggest a causal relation.

conditions antecedent to the revolution

foregoing applies chiefly to statements.

the foregoing remarks

previous and prior imply existing or occurring earlier, but prior often adds an implication of greater importance.

a child from a previous marriage

a prior obligation

former implies always a definite comparison or contrast with something that is latter.

the former name of the company

anterior applies to position before or ahead of usually in space, sometimes in time or order.

the anterior lobe of the brain

Examples of prior in a Sentence

Adjective

Do you have a prior history of back problems?

The job requires prior experience in advertising.

The defendant had a prior record of convictions.

I'm sorry, but we have a prior commitment and can't come tonight.

We have a prior claim to the estate.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

That was down from 4.1 out of every 1,000 returns filed, or 0.41%, the prior year. —Medora Lee, USA TODAY, 12 Apr. 2024

Wells Fargo, which also reported its first-quarter earnings Friday, topped Wall Street’s expectations but saw an 8% decline in net interest income from the prior year. —Nicole Goodkind, CNN, 12 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Latin, former, superior; akin to Latin priscus ancient, prae before — more at for

Noun

Middle English, from Old English & Anglo-French; both from Medieval Latin, from Late Latin, administrator, from Latin, former, superior

First Known Use

Adjective

1607, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing prior

• prior art
• prior restraint
• prior to
• without prior notice

Kids Definition

prior

1 of 2 noun

pri·​or ˈprī(-ə)r 

: a monk who is head of a priory

prior

2 of 2 adjective

1

: earlier in time or order : previous

better than in prior years

without prior warning

2

: being more important than something else : having priority

has a prior claim to our attention

Legal Definition

prior

adjective

pri·​or

ˈprī-ər

1

: earlier in time or order

2

: taking precedence (as in importance)

a prior lien

Biographical Definition

Prior

biographical name

ˈprī(-ə)r 

Matthew 1664–1721 English poet