Is There a Difference Between Prior and Previous?
When you’re using prior and previous as adjectives that describe something as “happening or existing before in time or order,” then yes, the two words can be used interchangeably.
However, there are some nuances to be considered. For example, prior also functions as a noun and subtle differences exist in the implied immediacy of these two words. Confused? Don’t worry. Below, we help you understand what prior and previous mean by delving into their definitions and reviewing example sentences.
Don’t overthink it. Although there are slight nuances, most of the time, these words can be used interchangeably.
Table of contents
What Does Prior Mean?
As an Adjective
As we have already stated, prior can be used as an adjective that describes something as “having come before in time, order, or sequence.”
Here are a few examples that use prior with this denotation:
In the sentences above, you could switch out prior with previous without changing the meaning of the sentences. For example: He recalled a previous conversation where the details were discussed.
Additionally, prior can be used as an adjective that means “existing beforehand and therefore signifying higher importance.”
You could switch out prior with previous, and the sentence makes sense, but it removes the implication of precedence or superiority.
It’s important to note that when used as an adjective, the word prior is sometimes found at the end of a sentence to mean “before.” Previous can also be used like this, but it’s much less common and could be considered clunky or archaic.
Prior to is a commonly used prepositional phrase that means “before.” Again, previous to would technically be grammatically correct, but it’s less common and not recommended.
Regardless, both prior to and previous to are considered wordy, so it’s best to use before.
As a Noun
Although not as common, prior can also function as a noun that refers to “an authority figure who oversees monks or nuns living in a priory.”
Remember, previous never functions as a noun, meaning it can never be used in place of prior when used in this way.
In informal American English, prior is a shortened way of saying prior conviction.
What Does Previous Mean?
Previous is an adjective that means “happening or existing before in time or order.”
As we mentioned earlier, you could replace prior when constructing a sentence like the examples above without changing their meanings.
The related adverb of previous is previously.
Prior has no adverb form.
There’s one last subtle difference between previous and prior that you should know. When you want to indicate that something happened or existed immediately before something else, the word you should use is previous. For example, in the following sentence, the previous day means the immediate day before.
On the other hand, prior can imply a much broader scope, suggesting that something occurred some time (not immediately) before.
The use of prior in the sentence above can imply that commitments were made days, weeks, or even months in the past.
Prior vs Previous Recap
We started this post by explaining that prior and previous could be used interchangeably, and then continued with several instances in which they shouldn’t. But don’t get discouraged and overthink your use of these words. More often than not, you could replace one with the other, and no one—not even the strictest grammarian you know—would reprimand you.
But if you are one of those strict grammarians and want to understand even the slightest nuances between prior and previous, remember that:
- Prior and previous both function as adjectives that refer to something “that happened or existed before something else,” but previous sometimes implies immediacy, whereas prior can indicate a broader scope of the past.
- Using prior can also imply precedence and higher significance; previous does not.
- Prior is sometimes (but not commonly) used as a noun; previous is not.
- Previous has a related adverb form (previously), but prior does not.
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