prior.

1. A superior in certain monastic communities, often ranking below an abbot or heading a priory.

2. Existing or occurring before something else.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• monastic prior
• prior’s cell

On the page

The prior inspected the silent hall.

A novice waited outside the prior’s cell.

Usage notes

Primary category: gothic. Forms: Singular prior; plural priors. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings.