prior

adjective
UK: /ˈpraɪər/
US: /ˈpraɪər/

  1. Existing or happening before something else in time or order.

    1. I had a prior appointment, so I couldn't meet him yesterday. [ ] [ ]
    2. The system crashed due to a power outage prior to the data backup process. [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

former previous
prior adjective

  1. More important than something else.

    1. My family is my prior concern. [ ] [ ]
    2. The company determined that customer satisfaction was the prior objective. [ ] [ ]
prior adverb

  1. Before; previous to.

    1. He lived there prior to moving. [ ] [ ]
    2. They finalized the contract prior to the deadline to avoid penalties. [ ] [ ]
prior noun

  1. A senior member of a religious order, ranking below an abbot or abbess.

    1. The prior led the monks in prayer. [ ] [ ]
    2. The election of the new prior will be held in the monastery next week. [ ] [ ]

Frequently Asked Questions

The phonetic transcription of "prior" is /ˈpraɪər/ in British English and /ˈpraɪər/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "prior": former, previous.

Example usage of "prior": "I had a prior appointment, so I couldn't meet him yesterday.". More examples on the page.