| Prior 1. (a.) Preceding in the order of time; former; antecedent; anterior; previous; as, a prior discovery; prior obligation; -- used elliptically in cases like the following: he lived alone [in the time] prior to his marriage. 2. (n.) The superior of a priory, and next below an abbot in dignity. Thesaurus Entries ahead, ancient, antecedent, anterior, anticipatory, before, chief, ci-devant, earlier, early, elder, erstwhile, ex, exordial, first, fore, foregoing, foremost, former, forward, heading, headmost, immemorial, inaugural, initiatory, last, late, latest, leading, old, olden, older, once, onetime, past, precedent, preceding, precessional, precurrent, precursory, preexistent, prefatory, prehistoric, preliminary, preludial, prelusive, preparatory, prevenient, previous, previous to, prime, primeval, primitive, prior to, proemial, propaedeutic, quondam, recent, senior, sometime, then, till, until, whilom |