prior

Meanings

Adjective

• Advance; previous; coming before.
• Former, previous.

Adverb

• Previously.

Noun

• A previous arrest or criminal conviction on someone's record.
• A prior probability distribution, one based on information or belief before additional data is collected.
• A high-ranking member of a monastery, usually lower in rank than an abbot.
• A chief magistrate in Italy.

Related

Similar words

• anterior
• provost

Opposite words

• posterior

Origin

• From Latin prior, comparative of Old Latin *pri ("before"), from Proto-Indo-European *per- ("beyond"), *pro. Parallel to English former, as comparative form from same Proto-Indo-European root, whence also fore (thence before).
• From Middle English priour, prior, from Old English prior, Old French prior, and their etymon Latin prior.