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 By making heart health a habit throughout the prior decades, considering what’s best for your heart will be second nature by now. Lauryn Higgins, Time, 17 Sep. 2025 Whereas prior editions focused on science and business scaling strategies, the upcoming fair puts design and product innovation at the core, hence the timing with London Design Week. Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 16 Sep. 2025 Cabaret saw its grosses jump close to $250,000 from the prior week, to reach close to $630,000, and capacity also jumped to 91 percent from 68 percent as the understudies David Merino and Marty Lauter alternated in the lead role of the Emcee, taking over from Billy Porter. Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 16 Sep. 2025 In her prepared testimony, Monarez offers new details about her brief tenure as CDC director, including saying Kennedy issued a directive that CDC policy and personnel decisions required prior approval from political staff — a break from the practice of past administrations. Jacqueline Howard, CNN Money, 16 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for prior
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prior
Adjective
  • The character collection leans into more alternate builds for main characters.
    Rob Wieland, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
  • Use jig and pigs 18 to 25 feet deep along brush piles or main lake points with a gradual slope.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • The researchers selected for these genetic alterations because some previous research has shown that aspirin intervention has had a positive impact on suppressing tumor growth.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 18 Sep. 2025
  • Heading into spring break this year, airlines were flying fewer seats than in the previous spring, and the downward trend continues.
    Zach Wichter, USA Today, 18 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Last week, Reuters reported that Pulte’s own father and stepmother had declared two homes in two different states as their primary residence, prompting a town in Michigan to remove a tax exemption for their home there and charge the couple for back taxes.
    Chris Prentice, USA Today, 14 Sep. 2025
  • But today, technology was not his primary concern.
    Elie Ofek, Harvard Business Review, 14 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • The first pair, Wild Life (1440p) and Wild Life Extreme (4K), uses the Vulkan graphics API to measure GPU speeds.
    Charles Jefferies, PC Magazine, 18 Sep. 2025
  • The first hepatitis B vaccine was licensed in 1981, and the ACIP recommended a vaccine dose universally for all babies in 1991.
    Dr. Jade Cobern, ABC News, 18 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Advertisement Lee grew up near Manchester’s Christ Church of the Church of England, but struggled to understand their beliefs, never fitting in with the predominant religion.
    Barry Levitt, Time, 10 Sep. 2025
  • Should contempt become the predominant way that two partners communicate with one another, one or both will eventually reach a breaking point.
    Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Gibson, of course, had one of the most dominant seasons ever in 1968.
    Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 17 Sep. 2025
  • The International Style, also called Modern European Architecture Style, refers to architecture that emerged in Holland, France and Germany after World War I and became the dominant architectural style until the 1970s.
    Jamie L. LaReau, USA Today, 17 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • In 1951, Husseini’s associates murdered one of his foremost rivals, King Abdullah of Jordan.
    Sean Durns, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025
  • Forbes Business Council is the foremost growth and networking organization for business owners and leaders.
    Ryan Hohman, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Across industries, companies are under pressure to improve efficiency, scale effectively, meet rising customer expectations and keep pace with evolving regulations—all of which demand leading-edge technology.
    Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
  • Studio executives had realized that audiences actually loved big comedic films starring actors who weren’t traditional leading-man material.
    Adrienne LaFrance, The Atlantic, 15 Sep. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Prior.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prior. Accessed 19 Sep. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on prior

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!