adj
[knowledge, approval, permission, commitment] préalable
→ The president must seek the prior approval of Congress for military action.
→ Pupils must seek the prior permission from their parents.
→ The firm I wanted to use had prior commitments.
prior knowledge connaissance préalable
→ No prior knowledge of computing is required.
to have a prior engagement être pris(e)
I have a prior engagement. Je suis pris.
→ "Can you manage Monday?" -- "Sorry, I've got a prior engagement."
without prior warning sans prévenir
→ He just walked out and left me, without prior warning.
without prior notice sans préavis
to have a prior claim to sth [+assets, property] avoir un accès prioritaire à qch
→ a legal position that gives you a prior claim to certain assets of the company
to have a prior claim on sth [+assets, property] être prioritaire par rapport à qch
→ preferred shares have a prior claim on assets and dividends
His parents always felt they had a prior claim on his time. Ses parents ont toujours pensé qu'ils étaient prioritaires lorsqu'il s'agissait de son temps.