prior


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Related to prior: Prior probability

pri·or 1

 (prī′ər)
adj.
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.
adv.
Usage Problem Before.
n.
A previous conviction or arrest: The suspect has two priors.

[Latin; see prior2.]

pri′or·ly adv.
Usage Note: Though prior usually modifies a noun that comes after it, as in prior approval, it sometimes modifies a noun for a unit of time which precedes it, as in five years prior. These constructions are marginally acceptable when the combination serves as the object of a preposition, as in A gallon of gasoline was $4.29, up 10 cents from the week prior. In our 2014 survey, 51 percent of the Panelists accepted the sentence, with many commenting that they would prefer from the prior week or from the week before. The construction is even less acceptable when it acts as an adverbial modifier: only 29 percent of the Panel approved My cell phone was stolen. I had just bought it two days prior.

pri·or 2

 (prī′ər)
n.
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.

[Middle English priour, from Old English and Old French prior, both from Medieval Latin, from Latin, superior; see per in Indo-European roots.]

pri′or·ate (-ĭt), pri′or·ship′ (-shĭp′) n.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

prior

(ˈpraɪə)
adj
1. (prenominal) previous; preceding
2. prior to before; until
n
(Statistics) statistics a prior probability
[C18: from Latin: previous]

prior

(ˈpraɪə)
n
1. (Roman Catholic Church) the superior of a house and community in certain religious orders
2. (Roman Catholic Church) the deputy head of a monastery or abbey, ranking immediately below the abbot
3. (Historical Terms) (formerly) a chief magistrate in medieval Florence and other Italian republics
[C11: from Late Latin: head, from Latin (adj): previous, from Old Latin pri before]

Prior

(ˈpraɪə)
n
(Biography) Matthew. 1664–1721, English poet and diplomat, noted for his epigrammatic occasional verse
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

pri•or1

(ˈpraɪ ər)

adj.
1. preceding in time or order; earlier: a prior commitment.
2. preceding in importance or privilege.
Idioms:
prior to, preceding; before.
[1705–15; < Latin: former, elder, superior (adj.), before (adv.); akin to prime, pre-]
pri′or•ly, adv.

pri•or2

(ˈpraɪ ər)

n.
an officer in a monastic order or religious house, sometimes next in rank below an abbot.
[before 1100; Middle English, late Old English < Medieval Latin, Late Latin: one superior in rank; n. use of prior prior1]
pri′or•ship`, n.

Pri•or

(ˈpraɪ ər)

n.
Matthew, 1664–1721 English poet.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun1.prior - the head of a religious orderprior - the head of a religious order; in an abbey the prior is next below the abbot
superior - the head of a religious community
Adj.1.prior - earlier in time
antecedent - preceding in time or order
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

prior

adjective earlier, previous, former, preceding, foregoing, antecedent, aforementioned, pre-existing, anterior, pre-existent He claimed he had no prior knowledge of the protest.
prior to before, preceding, earlier than, in advance of, previous to A man was seen in the area prior to the shooting.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

prior

adjective
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
أهَمرَئيسَة دَيْر راهِباتسابِق
převor-kapředešlýpřednostní
forudgåendepriorindetidligerevigtigere
priori
mikilvægaripríor; príorinnasem kemur á undan
agrāksiepriekšējsklostera priekšniekssvarīgāks
przeor
prednostnýprior
baş rahipdaha öncedendaha önemli

prior

1 [ˈpraɪəʳ]
A. ADJ
1. (= previous) → previo
I have a prior engagementtengo un compromiso previo
to have a prior claim to or on sth/sb there are others who have a prior claim on my timehay otros a los que tengo que dedicar mi tiempo que tienen prioridad or están antes
she felt that her past connection with him gave her a prior claim to himle parecía que su pasada relación le daba ciertos derechos sobre él
without prior notice/warningsin previo aviso
2. (= earlier) [week, month, year] → anterior
in prior yearsen años anteriores
B. ADV (frm) prior to sthanterior or previo a algo
prior to doing sthantes de hacer algo
prior to (his) leaving he hid the moneyantes de marchar, escondió el dinero
in the years prior to his deathen los años anteriores or previos a su muerte
prior to that day we had not metantes de ese día no nos conocíamos, hasta ese día no nos conocimos
prior to this/thatantes de esto/eso
C. ADV (US) → antes
it happened two days priorocurrió dos días antes

prior

2 [ˈpraɪəʳ] N (Rel) → prior m
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

prior

[ˈpraɪər]
adj [knowledge, approval, permission, commitment] → préalable
prior knowledge → connaissance préalable
to have a prior engagement → être pris(e)
I have a prior engagement → Je suis pris.
without prior warning → sans prévenir
without prior notice → sans préavis
to have a prior claim to sth [+ assets, property] → avoir un accès prioritaire à qch
to have a prior claim on sth [+ assets, property] → être prioritaire par rapport à qch
His parents always felt they had a prior claim on his time
BUT Ses parents ont toujours pensé qu'ils étaient prioritaires lorsqu'il s'agissait de son temps.
adv
prior to prep (= before) → avant
prior to doing sth → avant de faire qch
nprieur m
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

prior

1
adj
knowledge, agreementvorherig; (= earlier)früher; without prior warningohne vorherige Warnung, ohne Vorwarnung; prior claimVorrecht nt (→ to auf +acc); a prior engagementeine vorher getroffene Verabredung
(= stronger) obligationvorrangig
prior to somethingvor etw (dat); prior to this/thatzuvor; prior to going outbevor ich/er etc ausging

prior

2
n (Eccl) → Prior m
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

prior

1 [ˈpraɪəʳ]
1. adjprecedente
without prior notice → senza preavviso
to have a prior claim to sth → avere un diritto di precedenza su qc
2. prep prior to sth/to doing sthprima di qc/di fare qc

prior

2 [ˈpraɪəʳ] n (Rel) → priore m
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

prior1

(ˈpraiə) adjective
1. already arranged for the same time. a prior engagement.
2. more important. She gave up her job as she felt her family had a prior claim on her attention.
priˈority (-ˈo-)
1. the right to be or go first. An ambulance must have priority over other traffic.
2. (plural priˈorities) something that must be considered or done first. Our (first) priority is to feed the hungry.
prior to
before. Prior to working in America, he had travelled in Europe.

prior2

(ˈpraiə) feminine ˈprioress noun
the head of a priory.
ˈprioryplural ˈpriories noun
a building in which a community of monks or nuns live.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.

prior

n. antecesor, predecesor;
a. previo-a;
___ toanterior a, antes de.
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012
References in classic literature ?
Yet so loose were the ideas of the times respecting the conduct of the clergy, whether secular or regular, that the Prior Aymer maintained a fair character in the neighbourhood of his abbey.
But the singular appearance of his companion and his attendants, arrested their attention and excited their wonder, and they could scarcely attend to the Prior of Jorvaulx' question, when he demanded if they knew of any place of harbourage in the vicinity; so much were they surprised at the half monastic, half military appearance of the swarthy stranger, and at the uncouth dress and arms of his Eastern attendants.
Two men, the one an architect and the other an archaeologist, met on the steps of the great house at Prior's Park; and their host, Lord Bulmer, in his breezy way, thought it natural to introduce them.
James Haddow, came from a drowsy den in the Inns of Court, full of leather and parchment, for the law was his profession and history only his hobby; he was indeed, among other things, the solicitor and agent of the Prior's Park estate.
It would be better to say that such parts had a relative order, in virtue of one being prior to another.
In the next room sat the count and countess respectfully conversing with the prior, who was calling on them as old acquaintances and benefactors of the monastery.
As soon as the prior withdrew, Natasha took her friend by the hand and went with her into the unoccupied room.
"It would be so easy to tell Miss Tilney that you had just been reminded of a prior engagement, and must only beg to put off the walk till Tuesday."
He was not therefore greatly pleased with this cold answer of his nephew; nor could he help launching forth into the praises of Sophia, and expressing some wonder that the heart of a young man could be impregnable to the force of such charms, unless it was guarded by some prior affection.
Beside the Bishop rode the Prior of Emmet upon a mincing palfrey.
They teach us that the prior act of a superior ought to be preferred to the subsequent act of an inferior and subordinate authority; and that accordingly, whenever a particular statute contravenes the Constitution, it will be the duty of the judicial tribunals to adhere to the latter and disregard the former.
The poor duke swore, fell into a rage, yelled, and declared that they wished to starve him to death as they had starved the Marechal Ornano and the Grand Prior of Vendome; but he refused to promise that he would not make any more drawings and remained without any fire in the room all the winter.