PRIOR Synonyms: 117 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'prior' distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of prior are antecedent , anterior , foregoing , former , preceding , and previous . While all these words mean "being before," previous and prior imply existing or occurring earlier, but prior often adds an implication of greater importance. // a child from a previous marriage // a prior obligation

Q: In what contexts can 'antecedent' take the place of 'prior'?

While in some cases nearly identical to prior , antecedent applies to order in time and may suggest a causal relation. // conditions antecedent to the revolution

Q: When might 'anterior' be a better fit than 'prior'?

Although the words anterior and prior have much in common, anterior applies to position before or ahead of usually in space, sometimes in time or order. // the anterior lobe of the brain

Q: When can 'foregoing' be used instead of 'prior'?

The meanings of foregoing and prior largely overlap; however, foregoing applies chiefly to statements. // the foregoing remarks

Q: When is it sensible to use 'former' instead of 'prior'?

The words former and prior can be used in similar contexts, but former implies always a definite comparison or contrast with something that is latter. // the former name of the company

Q: When is 'preceding' a more appropriate choice than 'prior'?

In some situations, the words preceding and prior are roughly equivalent. However, preceding usually implies being immediately before in time or in place. // the preceding sentence

prior

adjective

ˈprī(-ə)r

Definition of prior

as in main

coming before all others in importance this assignment will be prior to any other work you may have

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in previous

going before another in time or order we've made prior arrangements

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word prior distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of prior are antecedent, anterior, foregoing, former, preceding, and previous. While all these words mean "being before," previous and prior imply existing or occurring earlier, but prior often adds an implication of greater importance.

a child from a previous marriage

a prior obligation

In what contexts can antecedent take the place of prior?

While in some cases nearly identical to prior, antecedent applies to order in time and may suggest a causal relation.

conditions antecedent to the revolution

When might anterior be a better fit than prior?

Although the words anterior and prior have much in common, anterior applies to position before or ahead of usually in space, sometimes in time or order.

the anterior lobe of the brain

When can foregoing be used instead of prior?

The meanings of foregoing and prior largely overlap; however, foregoing applies chiefly to statements.

the foregoing remarks

When is it sensible to use former instead of prior?

The words former and prior can be used in similar contexts, but former implies always a definite comparison or contrast with something that is latter.

the former name of the company

When is preceding a more appropriate choice than prior?

In some situations, the words preceding and prior are roughly equivalent. However, preceding usually implies being immediately before in time or in place.

the preceding sentence

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of prior An audit demonstrates that controls were tested during a prior period. — Bora Unlu, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026 Businesses that provided data reported an 8% revenue increase during the trial period and a 38% increase compared to the same period the prior year. — Dan Schawbel, Fortune, 21 Aug. 2026 In 2025, the company sold more than 7 million AI glasses—up from 2 million sold in the prior two years combined—then quickly made plans to double its Ray-Ban outputs, Bloomberg reported. — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 21 Aug. 2026 But many of the same things said by other returning ex-Red Sox sounded different coming from Devers, because his return is unlike those prior, the breakup worse than most. — Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 21 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for prior

Recent Examples of Synonyms for prior

Adjective

In the Brazilian city of Cuiabá, the mayor, Abílio Brunini, prohibited one such championship from taking place in the city’s main public space.

— Mitchell McCluskey, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2026
Next, workers will install new cables, bolted into the five main branches, to stabilize the tree before removing the old supports.

— ABC News, ABC News, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of main

Adjective

Fils also won his only previous meeting with Tiafoe in Miami last year, also in three sets.

— Jeff Wallner, Chicago Tribune, 24 Aug. 2026
In a previous case involving Budget (which is owned by the same parent company, Avis Budget Group), a customer was hit with a cleaning fee that felt more like a penalty than a service charge.

— Christopher Elliott, Mercury News, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of previous

Adjective

The primary comes as Trump attempts to brush off a string of primary losses, with his 10th endorsed candidate losing in last week’s elections.

— Naomi Lim, The Washington Examiner, 24 Aug. 2026
The primary hurdle moving forward is integrating efficient extraction technologies into existing treatment infrastructure to yield materials that meet industrial standards.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of primary

Adjective

Announced at the Hot Chips conference, the processor is the first dual-architecture mainframe chip from IBM and is being developed for future IBM Z and LinuxONE systems.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 25 Aug. 2026
Nvidia said the first computing racks built on technology from its $20 billion Groq deal, the Groq 3 LPX, will be operational later this year, with Nebius as the launch customer.

— Anniek Bao, CNBC, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of first

Adjective

As long as the predominant globe-spanning Navy kept the seas free for everyone, there was no reason to be affiliated with any state.

— Craig Hooper, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
The Odyssey is a story set in the Bronze Age, written in the Iron Age, measured by which metal was the predominant metal that went into weapons of war and other kinds of tools.

— David Frum, The Atlantic, 29 July 2026

Definition of predominant

Adjective

Jeff Nichols is not only one of cinema’s foremost chroniclers of the American South, but is doing his damnedest to revitalize the film scene in his hometown of Little Rock, Arkansas.

— Marlow Stern, Variety, 17 Aug. 2026
Similarly, the world’s foremost perfumeries haven’t collaborated with elite motorcar brands.

— Robb Report Studio, Robb Report, 15 Aug. 2026

Definition of foremost

Adjective

The Yankees then went on to become baseball’s most dominant franchise - winning 27 World Series titles - while the Red Sox would not taste success for the rest of the 20th century.

— Emile Nuh, CNN Money, 23 Aug. 2026
There may even be scenario B, C or D which today appears negligible and which becomes dominant because something happens that our initial model could not anticipate.

— Hamilton Mann, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026

Definition of dominant

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prints

prior

prioress

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“Prior.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prior. Accessed 25 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of prior

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Synonyms of prior

adjective

Synonym Chooser

Example Sentences

Phrases Containing prior

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

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