prior

The word "prior" usually means that something existed, happened, or was known earlier than something else. It often appears in formal writing and careful speech. For example, if you have a prior commitment, you agreed to something earlier and are expected to keep that first agreement. Saying, "I had a prior engagement that evening," is a common formal way to say you were already busy.

Beyond scheduling, "prior" often describes experience, knowledge, or conditions from before. Having prior experience in a field means you have done that kind of work already. A doctor may ask about your "prior medical conditions" to understand your health history. In legal settings, people may talk about "prior convictions," meaning convictions from earlier cases. In patent law, "prior art" means earlier ideas, inventions, or published work that already exist before a new patent claim is examined.

Another very common pattern is "prior to," which works like a more formal way to say "before." You might read, "Prior to the meeting, everyone received the agenda." In this use, the word helps mark time or sequence clearly. It can also suggest that an earlier fact matters now, which is why it is common in reports, business writing, and legal documents.

There is also a less common noun sense: in some religious contexts, a prior is the head or deputy head of certain monasteries. Most learners, however, will meet the adjective and the phrase "prior to" far more often. In everyday understanding, the core idea stays the same throughout: something comes before something else and may affect what happens now.