different between prior vs early

English

Alternative forms

• priour (obsolete)

Etymology

From Latin prior, comparative of Old Latin *pri (“before”), from Proto-Indo-European *per- (“beyond”), *pro (“before”). Parallel to English former, as comparative form from same Proto-Indo-European root, whence also fore (thence before).

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /?p?a??/
• Rhymes: -a??(r)

Adjective

prior (not comparable)

1. Advance; previous; coming before.

2. Former, previous.

Usage notes

• The etymological antonym is ulterior (from Latin; compare primate/ultimate for “first/last”). This is now no longer used, however, and there is no corresponding antonym. Typically either subsequent or posterior is used, but these form different pairs – precedent/subsequent and anterior/posterior – and are more formal than prior. When an opposing pair is needed, these can be used, or other pairs such as former/latter or previous/next.

Synonyms

• anterior
• See also Thesaurus:former

Antonyms

• posterior

Derived terms

• prior to

Related terms

• priority

Translations

Adverb

prior (comparative more prior, superlative most prior)

1. (colloquial) Previously.

   Synonyms: ago, hitherto

Translations

Noun

prior (plural priors)

1. A high-ranking member of a monastery, usually lower in rank than an abbot.
2. (historical) A chief magistrate in Italy.
3. (US, law enforcement) A previous arrest or criminal conviction on someone's record. [from 19th c.]
   • 1939, Raymond Chandler, The Big Sleep, Penguin 2011, p. 53:

     ‘And a little later we get the routine report on his prints from Washington, and he's got a prior back in Indiana, attempted hold-up six years ago.’

4. (statistics, Bayesian inference) A prior probability distribution, one based on information or belief before additional data is collected. [from 20th c.]

Synonyms

• (second-in-command to an abbot): provost

Derived terms

Related terms

• priory

Coordinate terms

• (statistics): posterior

Translations

References

• “prior”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–present.

Catalan

Etymology

From Latin prior.

Noun

prior m (plural priors, feminine priora)

1. prior (a high-ranking member of a monastery)

Related terms

• priorat
• prioritat

Further reading

• “prior” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
• “prior” in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana.
• “prior” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• “prior” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

Latin

Etymology

From Proto-Italic *pri?s, from earlier *prij?s, from *pri + *-j?s, thus the comparative degree of Old Latin *pri (“before”), from Proto-Italic *pri from Proto-Indo-European *per- (“beyond”), *pro (“before”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /?pri.or/, [?p?i?r]
• (Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /?pri.or/, [?p?i??r]

Adjective

prior (neuter prius, superlative pr?mus); third-declension comparative adjective

1. former, prior, previous (preceding in time)
2. the first, the original
3. in front
4. (figuratively) better, superior
5. (substantive, Medieval Latin) abbot, prior

Usage notes

• This adjective has no positive form; rather, it serves as the comparative (prior) and superlative (pr?mus) of the preposition prae. (Compare the preposition post, with comparative posterior and superlative postremus).

Declension

• Third-declension comparative adjective.

Derived terms

• pri?r?s
• prius
• priusquam

Related terms

• pr?mus

Descendants

• ? Catalan: prior
• ? Czech: p?evor
• ? Dutch: prior
• ? English: prior
• ? Finnish: priori
• ? French: prieur
• ? Irish: prióir
• ? Galician: prior
• ? Italian: priore
• ? Middle High German: prior
  • German: Prior
• ? Norwegian Bokmål: priori
• ? Polish: przeor
• ? Romanian: prior
• ? Russian: ????? (prior)
• ? Spanish: prior

References

• prior in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• prior in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• prior in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition, 1883–1887)
• prior in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré Latin-Français, Hachette
• Carl Meissner; Henry William Auden (1894) Latin Phrase-Book?^[2], London: Macmillan and Co.

Spanish

Etymology

From Latin prior.

Noun

prior m (plural priores, feminine priora, feminine plural prioras)

1. prior (a high-ranking member of a monastery)

Derived terms

• priorazgo

Related terms

• prioridad
• priorato

Further reading

• “prior” in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014.

English

Etymology

From Middle English erly, erli, from Old English ?rl??e, ?rl??e (“early; early in the morning”), equivalent to ere +? -ly. Cognate with Old Norse árla ( > Danish and Norwegian årle, Swedish arla, Faroese árla). Compare also West Frisian earen (“early”).

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /??li/, enPR: ûr?l?
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /???.li/, enPR: ûr?l?
• Rhymes: -??(?)li
• Hyphenation: ear?ly
• Homophone: Earley

Adjective

early (comparative earlier, superlative earliest)

1. At a time in advance of the usual or expected event.

2. Arriving a time before expected; sooner than on time.

3. Near the start or beginning.

4. Having begun to occur; in its early stages.

5. (astronomy) Of a star or class of stars, hotter than the sun.

   Antonym: late

Synonyms

• (at a time in advance of the usual): premature
• (near the start): first

Antonyms

• (at a time in advance of the usual): late
• (illness: having begun to occur): terminal

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

Adverb

early (comparative earlier, superlative earliest)

1. At a time before expected; sooner than usual.

2. Soon; in good time; seasonably.

   • Those that seek me early shall find me.

   • ?, Alfred Tennyson, The May Queen

     You must wake and call me early.

Synonyms

• prematurely

Antonyms

• late, tardily

Translations

Noun

early (plural earlies)

1. (informal) A shift (scheduled work period) that takes place early in the day.

Antonyms

• late

Anagrams

• Arely, Arley, Layer, Leary, Raley, Rayle, layer, leary, re-lay, relay