heretofore

adverb

here·​to·​fore ˈhir-tə-ˌfȯr 

ˌhir-tə-ˈfȯr

: up to this time : hitherto

heretofore unimaginable possibilities

I tell you now what we have heretofore kept secret from you

—A. C. Whitehead

Synonyms

• hitherto
• theretofore
• yet

Examples of heretofore in a Sentence

Heretofore her writing has never displayed such depth of feeling.

This technology has created heretofore unimaginable possibilities.

Recent Examples on the Web

This duty granted Victorian mothers a degree of esteem; ideal mothers could obtain a limited (but heretofore absent) degree of education in their path toward piety. —Jenny Noyce, JSTOR Daily, 28 June 2024

The cramped two rooms sit on the museum’s top floor, giving a glimpse into the lives of a migrant group heretofore unseen on its premises. —Charlie Hobbs, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 May 2024

Albany is considering a bill that would dramatically disregard fundamental principles of contract law and provide certain owners of cooperative apartments with heretofore unimagined benefits in the setting and renewal of ground leases between building and property owners. —Anita W. Laremont, New York Daily News, 14 May 2024

The confrontation is a fantastically surprising moment in which the heretofore underestimated Natasha puts our heroine in her place. —Jennifer Keishin Armstrong, Vulture, 1 Apr. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

heretofore

adverb

here·​to·​fore ˈhi(ə)rt-ə-ˌfō(ə)r 

-ˌfȯ(ə)r;

ˌhirt-ə-ˈfō(ə)r,

-ˈfȯ(ə)r

: up to this time