What is what does prior mean?

"Prior" refers to something that existed or was done before a certain point in time or event. It can refer to a person's previous experience, knowledge, or actions, or to an event that happened earlier. The term is often used in legal contexts to refer to previous or existing conditions that have a bearing on a particular case. It can also be used in analytical and academic literature to describe research that has been conducted on a topic before a specific study being discussed.