Prior - Definitions from Dictionary.com

15 results for: Prior

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This

pri·or1

Audio Help [prahy-er] Pronunciation Key

–adjective

1.	preceding in time or in order; earlier or former; previous: A prior agreement prevents me from accepting this.

2.	preceding in importance or privilege.

–noun

3.	Informal. a prior conviction.

—Idiom

4.	prior to, preceding; before: Prior to that time, buffalo had roamed the Great Plains in tremendous numbers.

[Origin: 1705–15; < L: former, elder, superior (adj.), before (adv.); akin to prime, pre-

]

—Related forms

pri·or·ly, adverb

—Synonyms 1. anterior, antecedent.

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Prior

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Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This

pri·or2

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–noun

1.	an officer in a monastic order or religious house, sometimes next in rank below an abbot.

2.	a chief magistrate, as in the medieval republic of Florence.

[Origin: bef. 1100; ME, late OE < ML, LL: one superior in rank; n. use of prior prior¹

]

—Related forms

pri·or·ship, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This

Pri·or

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–noun

Matthew, 1664–1721, English poet.

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

pri·or¹ Audio Help (prī'ər) Pronunciation Key
adj.

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

[Latin; see prior².]

pri'or·ly adv.

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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

pri·or² Audio Help (prī'ər) Pronunciation Key
n.

A monastic officer in charge of a priory or ranking next below the abbot of an abbey.
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 per¹ in Indo-European roots.]

pri'or·ate (-ĭt), pri'or·ship' (-shĭp') n.

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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
prior (adj.)

1714, from L. prior "former, superior," comparative of Old L. pri "before" (see prime), related to L. præ "before" (see pre-).

Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
prior (n.)

"superior officer of a religious house or order," 1093, from L. prior "former, superior" (see prior (adj.)).

WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This

prior
adjective
1.	earlier in time [syn: anterior]
noun
1.	the head of a religious order; in an abbey the prior is next below the abbot

Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
prior1 [ˈpraiə] adjective

already arranged for the same time
Example: a prior engagement

Arabic:	سابِق
Chinese (Simplified):	在先的
Chinese (Traditional):	在先的
Czech:	předešlý
Danish:	forudgående; tidligere
Dutch:	eerder
Estonian:	eelnev
Finnish:	aiemmin sovittu
French:	antérieur
German:	früher
Greek:	προηγούμενος
Hungarian:	előbbi
Icelandic:	sem kemur á undan
Indonesian:	sudah diatur

Japanese:	前の
Korean:	전의, 앞서의
Latvian:	iepriekšējs; agrāks
Lithuanian:	ankstesnis, pirmesnis
Norwegian:	tidligere
Polish:	wcześniejszy
Portuguese (Brazil):	prévio
Portuguese (Portugal):	prévio
Romanian:	anterior; prealabil
Russian:	прежний
Slovak:	predošlý
Slovenian:	prejšnji
Spanish:	previo, anterior
Turkish:	daha önceden

prior2 [ˈpraiə] adjective

more important
Example: She gave up her job as she felt her family had a prior claim on her attention.

Arabic:	أهَم
Chinese (Simplified):	更重要的
Chinese (Traditional):	更重要的
Czech:	přednostní
Danish:	vigtigere
Dutch:	prioritair
Estonian:	tähtsam
Finnish:	tärkeämpi
French:	prioritaire
German:	vordringlich
Greek:	προγενέστερος
Hungarian:	elsőbbségi
Icelandic:	mikilvægari
Indonesian:	lebih penting

Japanese:	より重要な
Korean:	보다 중요한, 우선하는
Latvian:	svarīgāks
Lithuanian:	svarbesnis, svaresnis
Norwegian:	viktigere
Polish:	ważniejszy
Portuguese (Brazil):	prioritário
Portuguese (Portugal):	mais importante
Romanian:	prioritar
Russian:	более важный
Slovak:	pred-nostný
Slovenian:	pomembnejši
Spanish:	prioritario
Turkish:	daha önemli

prior [ˈpraiə] noun — feminine ˈprioress

the head of a priory

Arabic:	رَئيسَة دَيْر راهِبات
Chinese (Simplified):	小修道院院长
Chinese (Traditional):	小修道院院長
Czech:	převor, -ka
Danish:	priorinde
Dutch:	prior
Estonian:	prior
Finnish:	priori
French:	prieur, *-eure
German:	der, *die Prior(in)
Greek:	ηγούμενος, ηγουμένη
Hungarian:	házfőnök, perjel
Icelandic:	príor; príorinna
Indonesian:	kepala biara

Japanese:	修道院長
Latvian:	klostera priekšnieks
Lithuanian:	prioras, vienuolyno vyresnysis
Norwegian:	prior, priorinne
Polish:	przeor, przeorysza
Portuguese (Brazil):	prior
Portuguese (Portugal):	prior
Romanian:	stareţ
Russian:	настоятель; настоятельница
Slovak:	prior, -ka
Slovenian:	predstojnik; prednica
Spanish:	prior; priora
Swedish:	prior, priorinna
Turkish:	baş rahip

See also: priority, prior to, priory

U.S. Gazetteer - Cite This Source - Share This

Prior Lake, MN (city, FIPS 52594) Location: 44.72855 N, 93.43402 W
Population (1990): 11482 (4177 housing units)
Area: 33.9 sq km (land), 6.2 sq km (water)
Zip code(s): 55372

U.S. Gazetteer, U.S. Census Bureau

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Prior

Con*vent"ic*al\, a. Of or from, or pertaining to, a convent. "Conventical wages." --Sterne.

Conventical prior. See Prior.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Prior

Pri"or\, a. First, precedent, or superior in the order of cognition, reason or generality, origin, development, rank, etc.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

prior

Pos*te"ri*or\ (p[o^]s*t[=e]"r[i^]*[~e]r), a. [L. posterior, compar. of posterus coming after, from post after. See Post-.]

1. Later in time; hence, later in the order of proceeding or moving; coming after; -- opposed to prior.

Hesiod was posterior to Homer. --Broome.

2. Situated behind; hinder; -- opposed to anterior.

3. (Anat.) At or toward the caudal extremity; caudal; -- in human anatomy often used for dorsal.

4. (Bot.) On the side next the axis of inflorescence; -- said of an axillary flower. --Gray.

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