Meaning of prior in English | Powered by Free Dictionary API

noun

• A high-ranking member of a monastery, usually lower in rank than an abbot.

• A chief magistrate in Italy.

• (law enforcement) A previous arrest or criminal conviction on someone's record.

• In Bayesian inference, a prior probability distribution, one based on information or belief before additional data is collected.

adjective

• Advance; previous; coming before.

  Example: I had no prior knowledge you were coming.

• Former, previous.

  Example: His prior residence was smaller than his current one.

adverb

• Previously.

  Example: The doctor had known three months prior.