Prior meaning
Prior means having happened in the past.
An example of prior is a criminal conviction that happened ten years ago.
adjective
Preceding in time or order.
adjective
Preceding in importance or value.
A prior consideration.
adjective
The definition of a prior is the head of a home where monks live.
An example of a prior is the person in charge of a religious house such as a priory.
noun
One of the ruling magistrates of the medieval Italian republic of Florence.
noun
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Preceding in time; earlier; previous; former.
adjective
Preceding in order or importance; preferred.
A prior choice.
adjective
The head of a priory or other religious house.
noun
In an abbey, the person in charge next below the abbot.
noun
(statistics) In Bayesian inference, a prior probability distribution. [from 20th c.]
noun
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A monastic officer in charge of a priory or ranking next below the abbot of an abbey.
noun
1664-1721; Eng. poet.
proper name
prior to
- Before in time.
idiom
Idioms and Phrasal Verbs
Origin of prior
- Middle English priour from Old English Old French prior both from Medieval Latin from Latin superior per1 in Indo-European roots
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
- Latin prior2
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
- From Latin prior
From Wiktionary