prior

/ˈpraɪ.ər/

earlier in time or order

The prior version of the software had fewer bugs.

The earlier version of the software had fewer bugs.

general

earlier in time or order

She reviewed her prior work before submitting the final draft.

She looked at her earlier work before submitting the final draft.

Often used in legal, medical, and business contexts to refer to previous events or documents.

general

a person or thing that came before another

The prior owner of the house left some furniture behind.

The previous owner of the house left some furniture behind.

Can refer to people, objects, or events that preceded others.

Collocations

prior tobefore in time or orderprior knowledgeinformation or experience known beforehandprior experienceprevious work or life experience

existing knowledge or technology that is already known before a patent application

approval required before a medical service or procedure can be performed

In legal and medical contexts, 'prior' often refers to previous documents, actions, or medical history.

'Prior' can refer to both time and order, but it is often used to emphasize the sequence of events or documents.

From Middle English 'prior', from Old French 'prior', from Latin 'prior' (comparative of 'prius'), meaning 'earlier'.

In legal contexts, 'prior' often refers to previous legal actions or documents. In medical contexts, it may refer to prior medical history.

pri-

before

prefix

-or

comparative form

suffix

English Dictionary