What does priorly mean?
Priorly is a formal adverb meaning “formerly” or “previously.” It is used when an action, condition, agreement, or piece of information existed before a particular time or event. In phrases such as “priorly agreed” and “priorly known,” it sounds natural in legal, administrative, academic, and other formal registers. Its use is particularly associated with British English, although it can appear in formal writing in other varieties as well. For ordinary conversation, “previously,” “formerly,” or “earlier” are usually more familiar. The word is especially useful when a sequence or reference point matters, because it concisely marks something as belonging to an earlier stage, without requiring a full time clause.
adverbPriorly means formerly or previously, especially by a stated earlier time. It is used in formal and legal contexts to indicate what was true, known, agreed, or done before a particular point in time.
- At an earlier time; formerly or previously.
"The agreement was priorly approved by both parties."
"The building was priorly used as a school."
"The parties had priorly agreed to meet on Friday."
Priorly is a formal time machine: it points back to what was true before a particular moment.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does priorly come from?
Priorly is formed from the adjective “prior,” meaning “earlier” or “previous,” with the adverbial suffix “-ly.” The adjective comes ultimately from Latin prior, meaning “earlier,” “former,” or “superior,” and entered English through French. The formation reflects the basic sense of the Latin word: something occurring before something else.
How priorly is actually used
Priorly is more formal than the everyday alternatives “previously” and “formerly,” and it is especially common in British English and legal or administrative writing. It is less usual in casual speech.