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Precede vs Prior - What's the difference?

precede | prior |

As nouns the difference between precede and prior

is that precede is brief editorial preface (usually to an article or essay while prior is a high-ranking member of a monastery, usually lower in rank than an abbot.

As a verb precede

is to go before, go in front of.

As an adjective prior is

of that which comes before, in advance.

As an adverb prior is

previously.

precede

English

Alternative forms

* (archaic)

Verb

(preced)
  • To go before, go in front of.
  • * Milton
  • Harm precedes not sin.
  • To cause to be preceded; to preface; to introduce.
  • * Kent
  • It is usual to precede hostilities by a public declaration.
  • To have higher rank than (someone or something else).
  • Usage notes

    * Not to be confused with proceed.

    Noun

  • (en-noun) Brief editorial preface (usually to an article or essay)
  • Antonyms

    * (go before) succeed

    Anagrams

    * ----

    prior

    English

    Adjective

    (-)
  • Of that which comes before, in advance.
  • I had no prior knowledge you were coming.
  • former, previous
  • His prior residence was smaller than his current one.

    Usage notes

    The etymological antonym is (m) (from Latin) (compare (m)/(m) for “first/last”). This is now no longer used, however, and there is no corresponding antonym. Typically either (m) or (m) are used, but these form different pairs – (m)/(m) and (m)/(m) – and are more formal than prior . When an opposing pair is needed, these can be used, or other pairs such as (m)/(m) or (m)/(m).

    Synonyms

    * See also

    Derived terms

    * prior to

    Adverb

    (en adverb)
  • (colloquial) Previously.
  • The doctor had known three months prior .

    Noun

    (wikipedia prior) (en noun)
  • A high-ranking member of a monastery, usually lower in rank than an abbot.
  • * 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.’
  • (statistics) In Bayesian inference, a prior probability distribution.