priori

The French term "a priori" (often written with a space) comes from Latin and is used both in philosophy and everyday language.

Meaning:

• Philosophical/epistemological meaning:
  "A priori" refers to knowledge, judgments, or reasoning that are known or justified independently of experience. For example, mathematical truths are considered a priori because they can be known without needing sensory evidence.

• Common language:
  More generally, it means "at first glance," "based on theoretical deduction," or "before examining the facts." It’s often used to express an initial assumption or presumption before observing or analyzing data.

Examples in usage:

• A priori, ce résultat semble correct. (At first glance, this result seems correct.)
• La validité de l’argument est a priori assurée. (The validity of the argument is assured a priori.)

Synonyms and differences:

• Au premier abord (at first glance): A less formal and more everyday phrase related to first impressions rather than logical reasoning.
• D’avance (in advance): Implies something known or done previously, but not necessarily independent of experience.
• Hypothétiquement (hypothetically): Indicates a supposition, whereas "a priori" is more about knowledge not derived from experience.

In summary, "a priori" conveys something regarded as true independently of observational evidence or before examining particular facts, especially in logic, philosophy, or reasoning contexts.