prior

prior · adjective, adverb, noun¹

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*pró“leading to, toward”
2. Proto-Italic · derived from*priōs“earlier, previous”
3. Latin · learned borrowing fromprior“earlier, former, previous, prior; in front; (figurative) better, superior”
4. English todayprior

The adjective is a learned borrowing from Latin prior (“earlier, former, previous, prior; in front; (figurative) better, superior”), from Proto-Italic *priōs (“earlier, previous”, literally “more before”), ultimately from *pri (“before”) (from Proto-Indo-European *pró (“leading to, toward”) and its etymon *per- (“before, in front; first”)) + *-jōs (suffix forming comparative adjectives). Doublet of before, fore, and former. The adverb and noun are derived from the adjective.

prior · noun²

1. Latin · derived fromprior“ancestor; predecessor”
2. Old French · derived fromprior
3. Anglo-Norman · derived frompriour
4. Old English · inherited fromprior
5. Middle English · inherited frompriour
6. English todayprior

From Middle English priour, prior (“head or deputy head of a monastery or other religious house; predecessor; superior”), from Old English prior, from Anglo-Norman priour, prior, priur, and Old French prior, priur (modern French prieur), and directly from their etymon Latin prior (“ancestor; predecessor”) (whence Late Latin prior (“superior of a religious house or order; abbot; deputy abbot; head of a guild”)), a noun use of prior (“former, previous, prior”, adjective): see etymology 1.

Prior · proper noun³

1. Middle English · derived fromprior
2. Middle English · inherited fromPrior
3. English todayPrior

From Middle English Prior, Priur (surname), from Middle English prior, priour (“prior”). More at prior.

Words from the same roots

First known use, by meaning

• from 20th c. A prior probability distribution, that is, one determined without knowledge of the occurrence of other events that bear on it, before additional data is collected.
• from 20th c. In the rationalsphere: a belief supported by previous evidence or experience that one can use to make inferences about the future.
• from 19th c. A previous arrest or criminal conviction on someone's criminal record.