a priori

Meaning

Adj

1. Based on hypothesis and theory rather than experiment or empirical evidence.
2. Self-evident, intuitively obvious.
3. Presumed without analysis.
4. Developed entirely from scratch, without deriving it from existing languages.

Adv

In a way based on theoretical deduction rather than empirical observation.

Synonyms

antecedent

axiomatic

congenital

hereditary

inborn

inherent

innate

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˌeɪ pɹaɪˈɔːɹaɪ/

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”).