after vs prior

after

adv
  • Behind; later in time; following. 

conj
  • Signifies that the action of the clause it starts takes place before the action of the other clause. 

prep
  • In pursuit of, seeking. 

  • In allusion to, in imitation of; following or referencing. 

  • In spite of. 

  • Behind. 

  • Next in importance or rank. 

  • Denoting the aim or object; concerning; in relation to. 

  • Subsequently to; following in time; later than. 

  • Used to indicate recent completion of an activity 

  • As a result of. 

adj
  • At or towards the stern of a ship. 

prior

adv
  • Previously. 

noun
  • A high-ranking member of a monastery, usually lower in rank than an abbot. 

  • A prior probability distribution, one based on information or belief before additional data is collected. 

  • A belief supported by previous evidence or experience that one can use to make inferences about the future. 

  • A chief magistrate in Italy. 

  • A previous arrest or criminal conviction on someone's record. 

adj
  • Former, previous. 

  • Advance; previous; coming before. 

How often have the words after and prior occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )