prior
Use Prior in a sentence
ər 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
Idioms 3.
Informal. a prior conviction.
4.
prior to, preceding; before: Prior to that time, buffalo had roamed the Great Plains in tremendous numbers.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
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:
before 1100; Middle English, late Old English < Medieval Latin, Late Latin: one superior in rank; noun use of prior prior1
before 1100; Middle English, late Old English < Medieval Latin, Late Latin: one superior in rank; noun use of prior prior1
Related forms
pri·or·ship, noun
sub·pri·or·ship, noun
00:10
Prior
is always a great word to know.
So is flibbertigibbet. Does it mean:
| the offspring of a zebra and a donkey. |
| a chattering or flighty, light-headed person. |
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
|
Link To prior
Collins
World English Dictionary
prior1 (ˈpraɪə) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —adj | |
| 1. | (prenominal) previous; preceding |
| 2. | prior to before; until |
| —n | |
| 3. | statistics a prior probability |
| [C18: from Latin: previous] | |
| prior2 (ˈpraɪə) | |
| —n | |
| 1. | the superior of a house and community in certain religious orders |
| 2. | the deputy head of a monastery or abbey, ranking immediately below the abbot |
| 3. | (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 | |
| Matthew. 1664--1721, English poet and diplomat, noted for his epigrammatic occasional verse | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Slang Dictionary
prior definition
|
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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Example sentences from the web
These appointees rarely had prior experience in postal service and mail delivery.
Prior to discussing the conjugable words, a brief note about stem forms.
The party leaders are elected prior to the general elections by party memberships.
Several of the films were shown first on uk television prior to their dvd release.
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