anteriority

from WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006)

anteriority
    n 1: the quality of being in front or (in lower animals) toward
         the head [ant: {posteriority}]
    2: preceding in time [syn: {priority}, {antecedence},
       {antecedency}, {anteriority}, {precedence}, {precedency}]
       [ant: {posteriority}, {subsequence}, {subsequentness}]

from The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

Anteriority \An*te`ri*or"i*ty\, n. [LL. anterioritas.]
   The state of being anterior or preceding in time or in
   situation; priority. --Pope.
   [1913 Webster]