+A "prior" denotes that which precedes, serving as an initial state or pre-existing condition. It represents the foundational [knowledge](/wiki/knowledge) or belief held before any new evidence or observation. In [Bayesian inference](/wiki/bayesian_inference), a prior distribution quantifies this initial belief.
+## See also
+- [Posterior](/wiki/posterior)
+- [Belief](/wiki/belief)
+- [Data](/wiki/data)
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