had knowledge of prior

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "had knowledge of prior" is not entirely correct as it is missing a noun after "prior" to clarify what knowledge is being referred to.
You can use it when discussing someone's awareness or understanding of previous information or events, but it needs to be completed for clarity. Example: "He had knowledge of prior incidents that influenced his decision."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

60 human-written examples

He admits he had knowledge of widespread phone hacking prior to January 2011.

Independent

As Fatorma Bolay, director of the Liberian Institute for Biomedical Research, explained, these participants had "no knowledge of prior Ebola virus infections".

Science Magazine

I got into ceramics in my undergrad while looking to develop a skill set that I had no knowledge of prior to going to school.

Vice

The BBC is believed to have had prior knowledge of the raid and to have been stationed outside Richard's property in Sunningdale, Berkshire.

The Guardian

From my experience, royal courtiers would have had prior knowledge of the Spanish visit.

The Guardian - Opinion

(Cubans, citing recently declassified C.I.A. and F.B.I. documents that appear to support them, accuse the agency of having had prior knowledge of the attack).

The New Yorker

Criticism was levelled at the Police Service of Northern Ireland for failing to provide lists of agents within the INLA who may have had prior knowledge of the planned murder.

The Guardian

Twenty-nine percent of respondents indicated that they had no knowledge of Moodle prior to beginning their studies.

Research and Practice in Technology Enhanced Learning

In fact, at time 1, RA-1 had no knowledge of the prior status of the residents.

BMC Nursing

Mary Todd Lincoln believed that Vice President Andrew Johnson had prior knowledge of or had been involved in the assassination.

Britannica

The Associated Press quoted a senior US official as saying the US had concluded that Russia had prior knowledge of the Tuesday chemical attack on Khan Sheikhun.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Ensure clarity by specifying what the "prior" knowledge pertains to. For instance, use "had knowledge of prior incidents" instead of just "had knowledge of prior".

Common error

Avoid using "prior" without specifying what it refers to. Saying someone "had knowledge of prior" is incomplete; clarify with "prior events", "prior information", or another relevant noun.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "had knowledge of prior" functions as part of a verb phrase that aims to express someone's awareness or understanding of something that happened or existed earlier. However, it requires a specific noun after “prior” to be grammatically sound.

Expression frequency: Missing

Frequent in

Science

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Formal & Business

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Less common in

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Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "had knowledge of prior" is used in some contexts, Ludwig AI points out that it's grammatically incomplete without specifying what 'prior' refers to. To ensure clarity, specify the type of prior knowledge, such as "prior events" or "prior information". Alternatives like "knew beforehand about" or "was previously aware of" offer more precise and grammatically sound ways to express the concept. Therefore, it is advisable to use these alternatives to avoid ambiguity and maintain grammatical correctness.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

knew beforehand about

Replaces "had knowledge of prior" with a more direct and concise expression of advance awareness.

was previously aware of

Emphasizes prior awareness, clarifying the timeline of knowledge.

possessed advance notice of

Highlights having information before an event occurred.

had foreknowledge of

A more formal way of saying 'knew in advance'.

was informed about beforehand

Focuses on the act of being told something ahead of time.

had prior intelligence regarding

Suggests formal or secret knowledge obtained earlier.

knew in advance concerning

Similar to "knew beforehand" but slightly more formal.

was privy to prior details of

Indicates being part of an exclusive group that knew about something in advance.

had previous insight into

Emphasizes understanding based on prior information.

was acquainted with the prior history of

Focuses on familiarity with the past events related to a situation.

FAQs

How can I use "had knowledge of prior" in a sentence correctly?

To use the phrase correctly, specify what the 'prior' refers to. For example, 'He had knowledge of prior incidents that influenced his decision'.

What's a clearer alternative to "had knowledge of prior"?

You can use alternatives such as "knew beforehand about" or "was previously aware of" for better clarity.

Is it grammatically correct to say "had knowledge of prior" without specifying what 'prior' refers to?

While some sources use the phrase, it lacks clarity and is grammatically awkward without specifying what 'prior' modifies. It's better to say "had knowledge of prior events" or similar.

What's the difference between "had knowledge of prior events" and "was previously aware of events"?

The phrase "had knowledge of prior events" emphasizes possessing information about past occurrences, while "was previously aware of events" focuses on the state of being conscious or informed about those events at an earlier time. The latter often implies an understanding or recognition of the events.