prior

Prior means having happened in the past.

(adjective)

An example of prior is a criminal conviction that happened ten years ago.

The definition of a prior is the head of a home where monks live.

(noun)

An example of a prior is the person in charge of a religious house such as a priory.

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See prior in Webster's New World College Dictionary

adjective

  1. preceding in time; earlier; previous; former
  2. preceding in order or importance; preferred: a prior choice

Origin: L, former, superior, compar. of OL pri, before: see prime

noun

  1. the head of a priory or other religious house
  2. in an abbey, the person in charge next below the abbot

Origin: ME < OE & OFr, both < ML(Ec), a prior < L: see priorthe

Prior, Matthew 1664-1721; Eng. poet

See prior in American Heritage Dictionary 4

adjective
  1. Preceding in time or order: [They] insist that foreign vessels seeking access obtain prior approval” (Seymour M. Hersh).
  2. Preceding in importance or value: a prior consideration.

Origin:

Origin: Latin; see prior2

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Related Forms:

  • priˈor·ly adverb

noun
  1. A monastic officer in charge of a priory or ranking next below the abbot of an abbey.
  2. One of the ruling magistrates of the medieval Italian republic of Florence.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English priour

Origin: , from Old English

Origin: and Old French prior

Origin: , both from Medieval Latin

Origin: , from Latin, superior; see per1 in Indo-European roots

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Related Forms:

  • priˈor·ate (-ĭt), priˈor·shipˌ (-shĭpˌ) noun

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