Prior vs Initial - What's the difference?
prior | initial |
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.
Chronologically first, early; of or pertaining to the beginning, cause or origin.
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*{{quote-book, year=1963, author=(Margery Allingham), title=(The China Governess)
, chapter=19 Spatially first, placed at the beginning, in the first position; especially said of the first letter of a word.
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*:Thus, when he drew up instructions in lawyer language, he expressed the important words by an initial , a medial, or a final consonant, and made scratches for all the words between; his clerks, however, understood him very well.
The first letter of a word or a name.
In plural, the first letter of each word of a person's full name considered as a unit
(typesetting, calligraphy) A distinguished initial letter of a chapter or section of a document.
(phonology) onset, part of a syllable that precedes the syllable nucleus in phonetics and phonology.
To sign one's initial(s), as an abbreviated signature.
As adjectives the difference between prior and initial
is that prior is of that which comes before, in advance while initial is chronologically first, early; of or pertaining to the beginning, cause or origin.As nouns the difference between prior and initial
is that prior is a high-ranking member of a monastery, usually lower in rank than an abbot while initial is the first letter of a word or a name.As an adverb prior
is previously.As a verb initial is
to sign one's initial(s), as an abbreviated signature.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.’
initial
English
(wikipedia initial)Adjective
(-)citation, passage=Meanwhile Nanny Broome was recovering from her initial panic and seemed anxious to make up for any kudos she might have lost, by exerting her personality to the utmost. She took the policeman's helmet and placed it on a chair, and unfolded his tunic to shake it and fold it up again for him.}}
Synonyms
* incipient * openingAntonyms
* finalDerived terms
* initially * initialnessNoun
(en noun)- You can get your initials printed at the top.
Synonyms
* drop cap, versalDerived terms
* initialism * initial teaching alphabetVerb
- Please initial each page and sign the contract in full at the bottom.