Prior

Part of speech: adjective, noun

Pronunciation: /ˈpɹaɪ.ə/

Definitions

1. Someone who holds a high-ranking position in a monastery or religious community, typically second to an abbot
2. A member of a religious order who is responsible for overseeing certain aspects of monastic life as a subordinate to the leader
3. A religious leader serving in a monastery who ranks just below the abbot and has responsibilities for managing community affairs

Etymology: The Latin "prior" originally meant nothing more religious than "earlier" or "former," and it is the same comparative that gave English "before," "fore," and "former." Its comparative shape is visible in its make-up: it grew from a root meaning "before" plus a suffix that forms comparatives, so it literally meant "more before." The adjective sense was therefore about who came first in line, and the sense of rank or superiority followed naturally from that. The religious title arrived through Late Latin, where "prior" was used for the superior of a religious house or order, and sometimes for an abbot or deputy abbot. This noun use came from the same adjective, so the monastic office was named simply by the idea of being "the earlier one" or "the one ahead." Old English borrowed the noun, and Middle English used it for the head or deputy head of a monastery, as well as for a predecessor.

Synonyms: previous, earlier, former

Antonyms: subsequent, later