Going before in time; being or occurring before something else; earlier; antecedent; prior.
Previously to; before (previous being used adverbially, and with the preposition to equivalent to a simple preposition, before). Compare prior to, in a like loose use.
Synonyms Previous, Preceding, Precedent, Anterior, Prior, Former, Foregoing, Antecedent. All these words have lost their original application to space, and now apply only to that which goes before in time, except anterior, which may apply also to space, as the anterior part of the brain, and preceding, which as a participle still primarily applies to space, but as an adjective generally expresses order in time. Preceding means immediately before; the others may mean the same. Precedent often applies to that which has to go before in order to the existence or validity of that which follows: as, a condition precedent. Prior often means superior by being earlier: as, a prior claim. Anterior is opposed to posterior, prior to subsequent or sub-ordinate, former to latter, foregoing to following, antecedent to subsequent. See preliminary.