the head of a religious order; in an abbey the prior is next below the abbot
"The prior oversaw the daily activities of the monks while waiting to succeed the aging abbot."
A high-ranking member of a monastery, usually lower in rank than an abbot.
"The new prior took over the daily management of the monastery after the abbot stepped down."
In plain English: A prior is something that happened before other things you are dealing with right now.
"The doctor asked me to list any prior medications I was taking before prescribing new ones."
Advance; previous; coming before.
"The prior meeting was scheduled to take place two weeks ago."
In plain English: Prior means happening before something else, especially when you are talking about an important event.
"Please complete this task prior to leaving for your vacation trip tomorrow morning."
Previously.
"Prior to the meeting, please review the documents on your desk."
An occupational surname, from occupations for someone employed by a prior.
"The historical record shows that John Prior was indeed an occupational surname derived from his work as an employee of a prior."
The word prior comes from Latin, where it originally meant "earlier" or "in front." It entered English as a learned borrowing to describe something that is previous or superior in rank.