Usage of Prior to
Sometimes termed pompous or affected, prior to is a synonym of before that most often appears in rather formal contexts, such as the annual reports of corporations. It may occasionally emphasize the notion of anticipation.
page makeup decisions are verified and approved prior to typesetting
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Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly
Examples of prior to in a Sentence
make sure all revisions are approved by the author prior to publication
Recent Examples on the Web
At minimum, if state estate tax laws refer to federal estate tax laws that have been repealed the state estate taxes may be ineffective unless the statutes are amended to provide that they are based on the federal estate tax rules just prior to repeal.
—Martin Shenkman, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2025
The judges claim there was enough proof to show Payne paid for the substances after the singer was filmed asking for money from the front desk hours prior to Paiz’s arrival.
—Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 19 Feb. 2025
Wells Fargo Attune℠ World Elite Mastercard® Learn More Information about the Wells Fargo Attune℠ World Elite Mastercard® has been collected independently by Select and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of the card prior to publication.
—Jason Stauffer, CNBC, 19 Feb. 2025
The group spent the past five years putting No Other Land together, with much of it shot prior to the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023.
—Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 8 Feb. 2025
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Martin Shenkman, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2025
The judges claim there was enough proof to show Payne paid for the substances after the singer was filmed asking for money from the front desk hours prior to Paiz’s arrival.
—Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 19 Feb. 2025
Wells Fargo Attune℠ World Elite Mastercard® Learn More Information about the Wells Fargo Attune℠ World Elite Mastercard® has been collected independently by Select and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of the card prior to publication.
—Jason Stauffer, CNBC, 19 Feb. 2025
The group spent the past five years putting No Other Land together, with much of it shot prior to the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023.
—Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 8 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prior to
Cite this Entry
“Prior to.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prior%20to. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
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