antérieur

anterior, previous

adjective ahn-teh-RYUR Rare

Origin: Latin 'anterior' (more before, earlier)

Also means

front (anatomy)

Usage Note

Antérieur means both 'prior in time' (à une date antérieure, at an earlier date) and 'at the front' in anatomy (la face antérieure du genou, the front of the knee). Its opposite is postérieur (posterior, later). The feminine form is antérieure.

Examples

"Cette décision est antérieure à mon arrivée."

Natural Translation

This decision predates my arrival.

Literal Translation

This decision is anterior to my arrival.

Free starter pack

Building your French vocabulary?

Get the 100 most common French words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.

Related Words

Explore French by topic

FrenchNow

French Numbers 1 to 100: Count With Confidence

French numbers 1 to 100 in one complete chart, with pronunciation, the et-un rule, hyphens, and the four-twenties system explained so you can count anywhere.

June 4, 2026 6 min read

FrenchNow

Aller + Infinitive: The Easy French Future

Form the French near future in seconds: conjugate aller in the present and add an infinitive. Learn futur proche rules, negation, pronouns, and when to use it.

June 4, 2026 6 min read

FrenchNow

French Silent Letters: The CaReFuL Rule

Final consonants in French are silent by default — except C, R, F, L. The CaReFuL rule, the silent -e, the plural-s trap, and liaison, explained simply.

June 4, 2026 5 min read

FrenchNow

Passé Composé vs Imparfait: When to Use Each

Passé composé tells the story; imparfait paints the scene. Use this 2-second flowchart, trigger words, and paired examples to pick the right French tense.

June 3, 2026 6 min read