Beforehand vs Prior - What's the difference?
beforehand | prior |
At an earlier or preceding time.
(obsolete) In comfortable circumstances as regards property; forehanded.
* Francis Bacon
In a state of anticipation or preoccupation; often followed by with .
* Milton
* Addison
Of that which comes before, in advance.
former, previous
A high-ranking member of a monastery, usually lower in rank than an abbot.
* 1939 , (Raymond Chandler), The Big Sleep , Penguin 2011, p. 53:
(statistics) In Bayesian inference, a prior probability distribution.
As adverbs the difference between beforehand and prior
is that beforehand is at an earlier or preceding time while prior is previously.As adjectives the difference between beforehand and prior
is that beforehand is in comfortable circumstances as regards property; forehanded while prior is of that which comes before, in advance.As a noun prior is
a high-ranking member of a monastery, usually lower in rank than an abbot.beforehand
English
Adverb
(-)- Will it be possible to have access to the room beforehand so that we can set up chairs?
Antonyms
* afterwardsSynonyms
* in advanceAdjective
(en adjective)- rich and much beforehand
- Agricola resolves to be beforehand with the danger.
- The last cited author has been beforehand with me.
prior
English
Adjective
(-)- I had no prior knowledge you were coming.
- 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 alsoDerived terms
* prior toNoun
(wikipedia prior) (en noun)- ‘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.’