previous and prior imply existing or occurring earlier, but prior often adds an implication of greater importance.

PRIOR definition: 1. existing or happening before something else, or before a particular time: 2. before a…. Learn more.

PRIOR meaning: 1 : existing earlier in time previous; 2 : more important than something else because it came first

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.

Jun 29, 2025 · prior (comparative more prior, superlative most prior) Chiefly followed by to: in advance, before, previously. Synonyms: ago, hitherto The doctor had known three months prior.

The earliest known use of the word prior is in the early 1600s. OED's earliest evidence for prior is from 1607, in the writing of Barnabe Barnes, poet and playwright.

Use the adjective prior for things that exist earlier in time or that happen first in time or order. This is a formal word that is often used in legal language.

Prior definition: preceding in time or in order; earlier or former; previous.. See examples of PRIOR used in a sentence.

Master the word "PRIOR" in English: definitions, translations, synonyms, pronunciations, examples, and grammar insights - all in one complete resource.

Oct 19, 2023 · "Before" and "prior" both indicate something happening earlier in time, but "before" is more commonly used, while "prior" often feels more formal.