prior

/prior/

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Sure! Let’s break down the word "prior."

Basic Definition:

1. Adjective: "Prior" means something that happened earlier in time. For example, if you did something last week, it is prior to this week.
2. Noun: In a religious context, a "prior" is a person who is the leader of a group of monks or nuns, and is ranked just below the abbot (the head of an abbey).

Usage Instructions:

• As an adjective, you can use "prior" before a noun to show that it came before something else.
• As a noun, you use "prior" to refer to the leader in a religious order.

Examples:

• Adjective: "I had a prior appointment, so I couldn’t meet you yesterday." (This means you had an appointment before that time.)
• Noun: "The prior of the monastery gave a speech during the ceremony." (This refers to the leader of the monks at the monastery.)

Advanced Usage:

• In more formal or academic contexts, you might see "prior" used in discussions about studies or research, e.g., "Prior research suggests that exercise improves mental health." This means that earlier studies have shown this finding.

Word Variants:

• Prioritize (verb): To decide the importance of things and to treat them accordingly.
  • Example: "You need to prioritize your tasks to finish your work on time."
• Priority (noun): Something that is more important than other things.
  • Example: "Education should be a priority for everyone."

Different Meanings:

• Prior (noun): Apart from the religious meaning, it can also refer to someone who has a higher rank in a certain context, not just limited to religious orders.

Synonyms:

• For the adjective meaning: earlier, previous, antecedent.
• For the noun meaning: leader, head, superior (in a non-religious context).

Idioms and Phrasal Verbs:

• There aren’t common idioms or phrasal verbs that directly use "prior," but you might hear phrases like "in prior years" or "prior to" which mean "before."

Summary:

• "Prior" is a useful word to describe something that came before in time or to refer to a leader in a religious setting.

Academic

Adjective

1. earlier in time

Noun

1. the head of a religious order; in an abbey the prior is next below the abbot

Synonyms

• anterior
• prior