a priori
English
Alternative forms
Etymology
First attested in 1610. Learned borrowing from Medieval Latin ā priōrī (“involving reasoning from cause to effect; from first principles”, literally “from the former”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): (anglicized) /ˌeɪ pɹaɪˈɔːɹaɪ/, (Latinist) /ˌɑː pɹiˈɔːɹi/
- (US) IPA(key): /ˌeɪ pɹaɪˈɔːɹi/
Audio (Southern England) (file)
Adjective
a priori (comparative more a priori, superlative most a priori)
- (logic) Based on hypothesis and theory rather than experiment or empirical evidence.
- In his opening argument, the student mentioned nothing beyond his a priori knowledge.
- Self-evident, intuitively obvious.
- Presumed without analysis.
- 1996, Jeet Heer, Gravitas, Autumn 1996:
- While the great critics drew their authority from the breadth of their reading, New Criterion critics often base their authority on an a priori rejection of the contemporary.
- (linguistics, conlanging) Developed entirely from scratch, without deriving it from existing languages.[1]
- 2012 November 1, Laura Wright, “UT Language Creation Society invites students to learn origins of newer languages”, in The Daily Texan, archived from the original on 26 February 2013:
- Conlangers can also create a priori languages, which have no basis in existing languages. You might be familiar with more a priori conlangs than you think: The Klingon language from the television series “Star Trek,” the Na’vi language from the movie “Avatar,” and the Dothraki language from the television series “Game of Thrones” are all examples of a priori languages.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Derived terms
Related terms
Translations
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Adverb
a priori (comparative more a priori, superlative most a priori)
- (logic) In a way based on theoretical deduction rather than empirical observation.
Translations
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Usage notes
A priori is broadly naturalized in English, but is sometimes typeset in italics.
See also
References
- Donald J. Harlow, How to Build a Language
Finnish
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈɑːpriˌoːriː/, [ˈɑ̝ːpriˌo̞ːriː]
French
Etymology
Borrowed from Medieval Latin ā priōrī (“involving reasoning from cause to effect; from first principles”, literally “from the former”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /a pʁi.jɔ.ʁi/
Audio (file)
Antonyms
German
Etymology
Borrowed from Medieval Latin ā priōrī (“involving reasoning from cause to effect; from first principles”, literally “from the former”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /a pʁiˈoːʁi/
Audio (file)
Further reading
a priori on the German Wikipedia.Wikipedia de
Italian
Etymology
Unadapted borrowing from Medieval Latin ā priōrī (“involving reasoning from cause to effect; from first principles”, literally “from the former”).
Derived terms
Latin
Etymology
Literally, “from the former, from that which comes before”. Introduced as a technical phrase by Scholastic philosophers, notably Albert of Saxony (14th century).
Pronunciation
- (Classical) IPA(key): /aː priˈoː.riː/, [äː priˈoːriː]
- (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA(key): /a priˈo.ri/, [äː priˈɔːri]
Adverb
- (Medieval Latin) In a manner involving reasoning from cause to effect.
- (New Latin) In a manner involving reasoning from first principles; a priori.
Descendants
See also
Norwegian Bokmål
Etymology
Borrowed from Medieval Latin ā priōrī (“involving reasoning from cause to effect; from first principles”, literally “from the former”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /aˈpriːoːrɪ/
Audio (file) - Rhymes: -oːrɪ
- Hyphenation: a‧pri‧o‧ri
Adverb
- (logic, philosophy) a priori; based on hypothesis rather than experiment.
- 2011 December 23, Morgenbladet, page 9:
- førmoderne samfunn … hvor forskjell ennå ikke betraktes a priori som en mangel
- pre-modern societies… where difference is not yet considered a priori as a deficiency
- viten a priori
- a priori knowledge
- presumed without analysis, self-evident, intuitively obvious.
- 1894, Dagbladet:
- adskillige snes ungdom, som a priori kan henregnes til det overflødige proletariat
- several dozen youth, who a priori can be attributed to the superfluous proletariat
- 1971, Norsk Filosofisk Tidsskrift:
- to former for apriori innsikt
- two forms of a priori insight
- 2004, Thea Selliaas Thorsen, Pia Fraus:
- han [vil] ikke a priori utelukke at [sjalusien] kan være noe av årsaken til at han nå drives rundt av en uro
- he [will] not a priori rule out that [jealousy] may be part of the reason why he is now driven around by a turmoil
- a priori kunne man vente at...
- a priori one could expect that...
Antonyms
- a posteriori (“a posteriori”)
Related terms
- a fortiori (“a fortiori”)
References
- priori “a priori” in The Bokmål Dictionary.
- “a priori” in Det Norske Akademis ordbok (NAOB).
- “a priori” in Store norske leksikon
Norwegian Nynorsk
Adverb
- (logic, philosophy) a priori; based on hypothesis rather than experiment.
- presumed without analysis, self-evident, intuitively obvious.
Polish
Etymology
Learned borrowing from Medieval Latin ā priōrī (“involving reasoning from cause to effect; from first principles”, literally “from the former”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /a ˈprjɔ.ri/
Audio (file) - Rhymes: -ɔri
Adjective
a priori (not comparable, no derived adverb)
- (literary, logic, philosophy) a priori
- Synonyms: aprioryczny, apriorystyczny
- Antonyms: a posteriori, aposterioryczny
Adverb
a priori (not comparable)
- (literary, logic, philosophy) a priori
- Synonym: apriorycznie
- Antonyms: a posteriori, aposteriorycznie
Portuguese
Etymology
Unadapted borrowing from Medieval Latin ā priōrī (“involving reasoning from cause to effect; from first principles”, literally “from the former”).
Pronunciation
- (Brazil) IPA(key): /a pɾiˈɔ.ɾi/ [a pɾɪˈɔ.ɾi], (faster pronunciation) /a ˈpɾjɔ.ɾi/
- (Portugal) IPA(key): /a pɾiˈɔ.ɾi/, (faster pronunciation) /a ˈpɾjɔ.ɾi/
Derived terms
Spanish
Etymology
Borrowed from Medieval Latin ā priōrī (“involving reasoning from cause to effect; from first principles”, literally “from the former”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /a pɾiˈoɾi/ [a pɾiˈo.ɾi]
- Syllabification: a pri‧o‧ri
Derived terms
Further reading
- “a priori”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014