previous and prior imply existing or occurring earlier, but prior often adds an implication of greater importance.

PRIOR definition: 1. existing or happening before something else, or before a particular time: 2. before a…. Learn more.

A prior claim or duty is more important than other claims or duties and needs to be dealt with first. The firm I wanted to use had prior commitments.

Usage Note: Though prior usually modifies a noun that comes after it, as in prior approval, it sometimes modifies a noun for a unit of time which precedes it, as in five years prior.

There are six meanings listed in OED's entry for the noun prior, two of which are labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.

Apr 17, 2026 · This adjective has no positive form; rather, it serves as the comparative (prior) and superlative (prīmus) of the preposition prae. (Compare the preposition post, with comparative …

Prior definition: Preceding in time or order.

Prior refers to something that comes before or takes precedence over something else. It can be used as a noun to refer to a previous occurrence or condition, or as an adjective to describe something that …

PRIOR definition: preceding in time or in order; earlier or former; previous. See examples of prior used in a sentence.

1. Preceding in time or order: “[They] insist that foreign vessels seeking access obtain prior approval” (Seymour M. Hersh). 2. Preceding in importance or value: a prior consideration.