Anterior
(æntīə•riər), a. 1611. [a. L., f. ante; cf. Fr. antérieur.] 1. Of place: Fore, more to the front; opp. to posterior. 2. Of time, etc.: Preceding, former, earlier 1794. Also with to. (Thus anterior is comparative in sense, but not in const.) 1728. Hence Anterio•rity, the quality of being a. Ante•riorly adv.