pri·or1 (prī'ər)
adj.
Preceding in time or order: “[They] insist that foreign vessels seeking access obtain prior approval” (Seymour M. Hersh).
Preceding in importance or value: a prior consideration.
[Latin. See prior2.]

pri'or·ly adv.
pri·or2 (prī'ər)
n.
A monastic officer in charge of a priory or ranking next below the abbot of an abbey.
One of the ruling magistrates of the medieval Italian republic of Florence.
[Middle English priour, from Old English and Old French prior, both from Medieval Latin, from Latin, superior.]

pri'or·ate (-ĭt) or pri'or·ship' (-shĭp') n.

Thesaurus
prior

adjective

Going before: advance, antecedent, anterior, earlier, precedent, preceding, previous. See precede/follow.
Just gone by or elapsed: antecedent, anterior, earlier, foregoing, former, past, precedent, preceding, previous. See time.

Legal Dictionary
pri·or (`prī-ər)
adj.

Earlier in time or order
Taking precedence (as in importance) (a prior lien)

WordNet
The noun prior has one meaning:

Meaning #1: the head of a religious order; in an abbey the prior is next below the abbot
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The adjective prior has one meaning:

Meaning #1: earlier in time
Synonym: anterior
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Translations
Translations for: Prior
Nederlands (Dutch)
voorafgaand, vorig, hoofd van mannenklooster, oudste

Français (French)
prieur, précédent


Deutsch (German)
adj. - früher, vordringlich
n. - vordringliche Kriminalverurteilung
n. - Prior


Ελληνική (Greek)
n. (θρησκ.) ηγούμενος (μονής), (πληθ.) (ΗΠΑ, καθομ.) προηγούμενες συλλήψεις ή καταδίκες adj. πρότερος, προηγούμενος, προγενέστερος

Italiano (Italian)
priore, anteriore


Português (Portuguese)
n. - prior (m) (Ecles.)
adj. - prévio


Русский (Russian)
первичный, предварительный, настоятель

Español (Spanish)
adj. - previo, anterior
n. - encarcelamiento previo
n. - prior


Svenska (Swedish)
n. - prior
adj. - tidigare, föregående, förhands-, äldre


中国话 (Simplified Chinese)
adj. - 在先的, 在前的, 优先的, 更重要的, 居先的
n. - 小修道院院长, 大修道院副院长


中國話 (Traditional Chinese)
n. - 小修道院院長, 大修道院副院長
adj. - 在先的, 在前的, 優先的, 更重要的, 居先的


日本語 (Japanese)
adj. - 前の, 先の, より重要な, 優先する
n. - 小修道院長, 大修道院次長

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) رئيس دير للرهبان, سابق, قبل (صفه) أولي, مسبق‏

עברית‬ (Hebrew)
adj. - ‮קודם בזמן, בסדר או בחשיבות, קודם, לפני‬
n. - ‮הרשעה קודמת‬
n. - ‮ראש מנזר, ראש מסדר דתי‬