Find Antonyms

prior Antonyms

Opposite of prior

Because the opposite of prior shifts with each meaning, the 12 antonyms and opposite words below are separated across 4 exact definitions and ranked by contrast strength.
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• adjective (Context 1)

Existing or coming before in time, order, or arrangement.

Usage Example

"Applicants must have at least two years of subsequent experience in software development."

Strongest
subsequent
later
following
Strong
succeeding
ensuing
future
after
posterior

• adjective (Context 2)

Taking precedence in importance, urgency, or legal right.

Usage Example

"The senior creditor holds a secondary claim on the company's liquidated assets."

Strongest
secondary
Strong
subordinate
inferior
minor

• noun (Context 3)

A prior probability distribution, or an existing assumption held before evaluating new evidence (in Bayesian statistics and formal reasoning).

Usage Example

"When new empirical evidence emerges, scientists must be willing to revise their priors."

Strongest
posterior

• adjective (Context 4)

Relating to or denoting a probability distribution that represents existing beliefs before new evidence is taken into account (in Bayesian statistics).

Usage Example

"The researchers updated their posterior assumptions after analyzing the clinical trial data."

Strongest
posterior

Similar words to prior

Words similar to prior shift depending on context. Common synonyms include:

previous
earlier
preceding
former
foregoing
a priori
superior
primary
See all synonyms of prior

• Nearby Words

print
printable
printing
prior
prioritization
prioritize
priority

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Antonyms for Prior. In Wordmom Thesaurus. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/antonyms/prior
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