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.

Define prior. prior synonyms, prior pronunciation, prior translation, English dictionary definition of prior. adj. 1. Preceding in time or order: " insist that foreign vessels seeking access obtain prior …

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

A prior claim or duty is more important than other claims or duties and needs to be dealt with first. The firm I wanted to use had prior commitments.

OED's earliest evidence for prior is from 1607, in the writing of Barnabe Barnes, poet and playwright. It is also recorded as a noun from the Old English period (pre-1150).

Nov 9, 2025 · This adjective has no positive form; rather, it serves as the comparative (prior) and superlative (prīmus) of the preposition prae. (Compare the preposition post, with comparative …