What word means 'coming before; preceding'?

• A. Anterior
• B. Primary
• C. Priority
• D. Prior

Answer: (D)

This question centers on expressing order in time. The word that directly means earlier in time or sequence is prior, and it’s commonly used with the phrase prior to to show something happening before another thing. For example, you might say “prior to the meeting” or “prior engagements,” which makes the sense of precedence clear and natural in everyday and formal English.

Anterior is a valid sense of “before,” but it’s mainly used in medical or technical contexts to describe location or orientation, not general timing. Primary means first in importance or first in a sequence, which isn’t the same as simply preceding in time. Priority is a noun referring to something given precedence or importance, not an adjective describing something that comes before another.

So the best match for “coming before; preceding” is prior.