meaning of "a priori" and it's corrct usage

[dg11]

Hi,

I am trying to build my vacabulary. I have come accross the word "a priori". I went through the meaning of the word in dictionaries but still not able to understand it properly. Here I found the meaning on this link http://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/a-priori Please help me to understand this word with example usage.

Thanks

 

[Jaskin]

Hi,
Please note I'm not a teacher nor a native speaker.

It's rather very context specific word. Have a look at another definition here and some examples here.

Cheers.

 

[emsr2d2]

Welcome to the forum, dg11. :hi:

Note the correct spelling of vo​cabulary.

 

[Roman55]

I am not a teacher.

"A priori" is very commonly used in French where it has exactly the same literal meaning as in English.

Due to overuse it has almost come to mean "at first glance", (as an adverb that is).

 

[Raymott]

Hi,
I am trying to build my vacabulary. I have come accross the word "a priori".

It would be much easier to explain if you supplied a sentence or two in which it is used. (This applies generally.)
"17th century Rationalists such as Descartes held that one could accept certain 'truths' a priori, eg. that a God existed. In contrast, the Empiricists, such as Locke and Hume, insisted on a posteriori knowledge; that is, a 'truth' had to be demonstated empirically before being accepted.

 

[Rover_KE]

Note the correct spelling of vo​cabulary.

Also 'its' 'correct' and 'across'.

No offence, dg, but I suggest you widen your English vocabulary before grappling with specialised Latin phrases.


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[dg11]

Thanks for help. I will try to improve.

 

[probus]

You should at least read the wikipedia article before coming to us.

 

[dg11]

You should at least read the wikipedia article before coming to us.

Well if you did not like me asking question here, then I will not come here again. Every person has different way of learning. I tried to learn from dictionary and I posted link in my question that I did some research before asking question. It seems that you did not like me asking question here or you are over reacting. Google has answer to almost everything. Thank you very much. Won't come here again. I don't understand how can I asnwer people like you. You can clearly see I did some research before posting question. I have posted link to dictionary. For your information, people do not build their vocabulary from wikipedia, they build it through dictionaries, and interacting with other people. I tried that first. I could understand properly, this is why I asked question. But anyway, if you did not like, then no problem, I will search for other options. For your information I am expert in other field and I am active in the forums of my expertise. We never tell people you should have read wikipedia before asking us. We never feel any pain to help others. No one force anyone to answer. If you think my question was too silly, no one forced you to answer it.

At the end thanks for the people who wanted to help me.

Goodbye