Synonym Chooser

How is the word prior distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of prior are antecedent, anterior, foregoing, former, preceding, and previous. While all these words mean "being before," 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

In what contexts can antecedent take the place of prior?

While in some cases nearly identical to prior, antecedent applies to order in time and may suggest a causal relation.

conditions antecedent to the revolution

When might anterior be a better fit than prior?

Although the words anterior and prior have much in common, anterior applies to position before or ahead of usually in space, sometimes in time or order.

the anterior lobe of the brain

When can foregoing be used instead of prior?

The meanings of foregoing and prior largely overlap; however, foregoing applies chiefly to statements.

the foregoing remarks

When is it sensible to use former instead of prior?

The words former and prior can be used in similar contexts, but former implies always a definite comparison or contrast with something that is latter.

the former name of the company

When is preceding a more appropriate choice than prior?

In some situations, the words preceding and prior are roughly equivalent. However, preceding usually implies being immediately before in time or in place.

the preceding sentence

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of prior John Hamburg, who co-wrote all three prior films, wrote the screenplay for the new feature and is set to direct. Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 20 June 2025 Misael said on Wednesday that business has been particularly slow after the raids, which could be due to the fact that customers at car wash locations have also been detained by immigration officials in prior hits. Kaitlyn Huamani, Los Angeles Times, 20 June 2025 Last time out the veteran right-hander appeared to right the ship, allowing three runs over seven innings after previously giving up five runs in each of his prior two starts. Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 18 June 2025 In prior court filings, Oakley insists security physically accosted him and security lacked a valid reason to kick him out. Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 9 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for prior
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prior
Adjective
  • One voter in Greenwich Village told ABC News that concerns about antisemitism were a main driver for his decision to vote for Cuomo.
    Oren Oppenheim, ABC News, 24 June 2025
  • The three main changes House Republicans want to make are to ensure immigrants who are in the United States without legal authorization can’t enroll; create work requirements to be on the program; and prevent federal funding from being used for gender transition care.
    Danielle Battaglia, Charlotte Observer, 24 June 2025
Adjective
  • This could involve cleaning up data for specific use cases, like using real-life data from previous customer interactions to train AI agents for customer care relations.
    Imran Aftab, Forbes.com, 17 June 2025
  • The previous Purdue bankruptcy settlement was struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court last year.
    Alex Sundby June 17, CBS News, 17 June 2025
Adjective
  • The major-party candidates in the race for governor are already set; neither faced a serious primary challenge.
    Margaret Barthel, NPR, 17 June 2025
  • They will be required to start recording the boxes on the first day absentee ballots are issued for an election or primary and continue recording until the town clerk retrieves the last ballots.
    Gabby DeBenedictis, Hartford Courant, 17 June 2025
Adjective
  • The native New Yorker earned his first Oscar nomination for 1974’s The Conversation, and won a few years later, in 1979, for his work on Coppola’s Apocalypse Now.
    Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 17 June 2025
  • Lake was among Luminate’s top five CCM artists in the first half of 2024, and his star has only risen since then.
    Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 17 June 2025
Adjective
  • The June 10 vote by the nation’s largest Protestant denomination represents a doubling down on issues of gender and sexuality as the predominant group of evangelical Christians signals the SBC’s hopes of replicating the successful campaign to overturn Roe v. Wade.
    Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 12 June 2025
  • The predominant toxin associated with FHB infections in the United States is deoxynivalenol (DON), which is also known as vomitoxin because consumption can cause vomiting.
    Rebekah Riess, CNN Money, 4 June 2025
Adjective
  • The 22-year-old is fresh off a dominant senior season and is widely regarded as one of the top quarterback prospects of his respective class.
    Kevin McCormick, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 June 2025
  • The past two years made clear that Israel, with U.S. help, is the dominant military force.
    Greg Myre, NPR, 28 June 2025
Adjective
  • Forbes Business Council is the foremost growth and networking organization for business owners and leaders.
    Sindhu Bhaskar, Forbes.com, 17 June 2025
  • Lindell was one of the foremost conspiracy theorists in pushing claims that the election was stolen from Donald Trump.
    Ted Johnson, Deadline, 16 June 2025
Adjective
  • Architecture should play a leading role in determining the right roofing material and color.
    Cameron Beall, Southern Living, 25 June 2025
  • Cabrera also reminded industry attendees of the City of Madrid’s annual €3 million ($3.4 million) investment in the audiovisual sector to turn the Spanish capital into a leading European film and TV hub, in common accord with Pedro Sánchez government’s $1.9 billion AV Hub plan.
    Annika Pham, Variety, 14 June 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Prior.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prior. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on prior

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!