Thesaurus: prior

Related headwords

Definitions

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. a. The superior of a priory, and next below an abbot in dignity.
3. adj. earlier in time
4. n. the head of a religious order; in an abbey the prior is next below the abbot
5. 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. The superior of a priory, and next below an abbot in dignity. Conventical, or Conventual, prior, a prior who is at the head of his own house. See the Note under Priory. -- Claustral prior, an official next in rank to the abbot in a monastery; prior of the cloisters.
6. Preceding in the order of time; former; antecedent; anterior;previous; as, a prior discovery; prior obligation; -- usedelliptically in cases like the following: he lived alone [in thetime] prior to his marriage.
7. i:60/r:4/j:34/n:2 n. the head of a religious order; in an abbey the prior is next below the abbot