Prior

a.	1.	Preceding in the order of time; former; antecedent; anterior; previous; as, a prior discovery; prior obligation; - used elliptically in cases like the following: he lived alone [in the time] prior to his marriage.
	2.	First, precedent, or superior in the order of cognition, reason or generality, origin, development, rank, etc.
n.	1.	(Eccl.) The superior of a priory, and next below an abbot in dignity.
	2.	a chief magistrate, as in the republic of Florence in the middle ages. Conventical prior a prior who is at the head of his own house. See the Note under Priory. Claustral prior an official next in rank to the abbot in a monastery; prior of the cloisters.
	1.	a prior conviction; - said of an accused criminal.

Noun	1.	prior - the head of a religious order; in an abbey the prior is next below the abbot
Adj.	1.	prior - earlier in time Synonyms: anterior

ahead, ancient, anterior, anticipatory, before, chief, ci-devant, early, elder, erstwhile, ex, exordial, first, fore, foregoing, foremost, forward, heading, headmost, immemorial, inaugural, initiatory, last, late, latest, leading, old, olden, older, once, onetime, past, precedent, precessional, precurrent, precursory, preexistent, prefatory, prehistoric, preliminary, preludial, prelusive, preparatory, prevenient, previous to, prime, primeval, primitive, prior to, proemial, propaedeutic, quondam, recent, senior, sometime, then, till, until, whilom