prior
adjective
[ ˈprʌɪə ]
• existing or coming before in time, order, or importance.
• "he has a prior engagement this evening"
Similar:
earlier,
previous,
preceding,
foregoing,
antecedent,
advance,
preparatory,
preliminary,
initial,
anterior,
precedent,
prior
noun
• a previous criminal conviction.
• "he had no juvenile record, no priors"
Origin:
early 18th century: from Latin, literally ‘former, elder’, related to prae ‘before’.
prior
noun
• a man who is head of a house or group of houses of certain religious orders.
Origin:
late Old English, from a medieval Latin noun use of Latin prior ‘elder, former’ (see prior1).
