Prior
Existing or occurring before in time; earlier.
adjectivePrior
Existing or occurring before in time; earlier.
adjectiveImagine This
Imagine a historian adjusting a timeline on a wall. A marker labeled 'prior' sits before the marker for 'today,' indicating events that happened earlier.
Sounds Like
PRY-er
Looks Like
Looks like a synonym of 'previous' in meaning; often used to signal something before another event or time.
Remember This
Remember that 'prior' is commonly used with 'to' (prior to) to mean 'before.' For people or things, synonyms like 'former' or 'previous' are often more natural in casual speech.
Other Forms
Connect With
previous, earlier, former, antecedent, preceding, before
Note
Use 'prior' to describe time or sequence in formal or written contexts. In everyday language, 'earlier' or 'before' may be more common. Distinguish from 'posterior' (coming after).