a priori: Meaning and Definition of

a pri•o•ri

Pronunciation: (ā" prī-ôr'ī, -ōr'ī, ā" prē-ôr'ē, -ōr'ē, ä" prē-ôr'ē, -ōr'ē), [key]
  1. from a general law to a particular instance; valid independently of observation. Cf. a posteriori (def. 1).
  2. existing in the mind prior to and independent of experience, as a faculty or character trait. Cf. a posteriori (def. 2).
  3. not based on prior study or examination; nonanalytic: an a priori judgment.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.