Glossary entry (derived from question below)
French term or phrase:
a priori
English translation:
To set oneself objectives (goals) apparently out of reach
Added to glossary by
GILLES MEUNIER
Mar 27, 2002 08:02
22 yrs ago
39 viewers *
French term
a priori
French to English
Other
Se fixer des objectifs a priori hors d’atteinte
Proposed translations
(English)
Proposed translations
+5
20 mins
Selected
To set oneself objectives (goals) apparently out of reach
or unreachable
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thanks. This was the answer I used"
+11
24 mins
a priori (known in advance or apparent)
formed and coceived beforhand
That is used as is in philisophical tontex in almost all languages.
That is known even from now without any need to try.
That is used as is in philisophical tontex in almost all languages.
That is known even from now without any need to try.
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Pierre POUSSIN
: no translation.
13 mins
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thanks
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| agree |
Dr. Chrys Chrystello
22 mins
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thanks
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| agree |
ydmills
38 mins
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thanks
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| agree |
Rebecca Lowery
: yes this expression does not change
39 mins
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thanks
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| agree |
Manuela Schilling
55 mins
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thanks
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| agree |
Yakov Tomara
58 mins
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thanks
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| agree |
Bits P Ltd
1 hr
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thanks
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| agree |
Giuseppina Vecchia
1 hr
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thanks
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| agree |
Alisu S-G
4 hrs
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thanks
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| agree |
PaulaMac (X)
11 hrs
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thanks
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| agree |
& Associates (X)
14 hrs
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39 mins
Sergio Artamonoff
Brazil
Brazil
Brazil
Technical and General Translations
Native in: Portuguese 
Works in: English to Portuguese, French to Portuguese, Portuguese to English, and 1 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
16
previously
o set yourself objectives previously out of reach
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Note added at 2002-03-27 08:44:47 (GMT)
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correction: to set oneself or yourself objectives previously out of reach
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Note added at 2002-03-27 08:49:42 (GMT)
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The Webster also gives priorly, but it sounds rather strange today.
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Note added at 2002-03-27 08:44:47 (GMT)
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correction: to set oneself or yourself objectives previously out of reach
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Note added at 2002-03-27 08:49:42 (GMT)
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The Webster also gives priorly, but it sounds rather strange today.
Reference:
Peer comment(s):
| neutral |
1964
: "previously out of reach "would mean now reachable, may be "known in in advance" is better
7 mins
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46 mins
Victor Foster
United States
United States
Native in English
United States
Modern approaches: Art of translation
Native in: English
Works in: French to English, English to French
Related KudoZ points
:
209
beforehand, in advance
All the suggestions seem reasonable. it will depend on the register and the contexte of your document.
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Yakov Tomara
37 mins
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| disagree |
R.J.Chadwick (X)
: Made before or without examination; not supported by factual study.
1 hr
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1 hr
Roddy Stegemann
United States
United States
Native in English
United States
Search HKLNA!
Native in: English
Works in: German to English, Japanese to English, French to English, and 3 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
168
setting goals for oneself that are impossible to attain
The goals were already (a priori) beyond one's reach (hor d'atteint" when they were set. If you would like a more colloquial expression, try "biting off more than one can chew".
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Endre Both
1 hr
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| disagree |
Steven Geller
: It does not mean impossible - sorry.
10 hrs
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And how do you know that this is not the meaning implied. Have you a greater portion of the text than I to judge?
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2 hrs
right from the start
ma è anche vero che a priori può ben rimanere così com'è
2 hrs
R.J.Chadwick (X)
R.J.Chadwick (X)
Works in: Indonesian to English, Malay to English, English to Indonesian, and 1 more.
View
Related KudoZ points
:
71
Made before or without examination; not supported by factual study.
From The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language
Thus, to roughly translate the implied meaning of the sentence:
"To set goals that are unnattainable because they are based on a priori assumptions not related to the particulars of the immediate problem or situation."
Thus, to roughly translate the implied meaning of the sentence:
"To set goals that are unnattainable because they are based on a priori assumptions not related to the particulars of the immediate problem or situation."
11 hrs
Steven Geller
Works in: French to English, English to French, English, and 1 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
1246
To set objectives thought to be unachievable / unattainable / unreachable
This is how I would translate it.
Nevermind the philosophical discussion of what the Latin expression "a priori" means.
Webster's give a good definition :
a priori
1. From cause to effedt; from a generalization to particular instances; deductively.
2. of such reasoning; deductive.
3. based on theory instead of experience or experiment
4. before examination or analysis.
Opposed to "a posteriori".
Nevermind the philosophical discussion of what the Latin expression "a priori" means.
Webster's give a good definition :
a priori
1. From cause to effedt; from a generalization to particular instances; deductively.
2. of such reasoning; deductive.
3. based on theory instead of experience or experiment
4. before examination or analysis.
Opposed to "a posteriori".
1 day 2 hrs
theoretically unattainable targets
To set oneself ... (alternatively) objectives, goals. This sounds and reads better than other suggestions offered to date.
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