Meaning & use
prior
Existing or occurring before something else in time or order.
See it in a sentence
She had no prior experience in sales before taking this job.
A prior engagement kept him from attending his cousin's wedding last spring.
A note on using this word
Prior is usually followed by 'to', as in 'prior to the meeting', which is a more formal alternative to 'before'.
Words with a similar meaning
previousearlier
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “prior”, then compare your use with the examples above.
Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.